POLLY 
OF  PEBBLE  PIT 


"OH,  NOLLA,  LOOK,  LOOK  I"  SHOUTED  POLLV. 
Polly  ef  Pebbly  Pit.  Frontispiece  (Page  234) 


POLLY 
OF  PEBBLY  PIT 


BY 

LILLIAN  ELIZABETH  ROT 


AUTHOR  OF 

POLLY  AND  ELEANOR, 

POLLY  IN  NEW  YORK, 

POLLY  AND  HER  FRIENDS  ABROAD, 

POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE. 


Illustrated 


NEW  YORK 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 


Made  in  the  United  State*  of  America 


COPYRIGHT,  1922,  BT 
GROSSET  &  DUNLAE 


TO     MY    DEAR     FRIENDS,     SA2AH 

J.    BATTEY,    M.    D.,    AND    BRYAN 

M.   BATTEY. 


2088148 


CONTENTS 


I  THE  FARM  IN  PEBBLY  PIT     .     >:    M  s  * 

II  A  MOMENTOUS  LETTER     .     .     ,;    M  &  13 

III  PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN  .     ,:  >:  24 

IV  THE  "SERVANT  PROBLEM"  SOLVED    .  .  44 
V  UNPLEASANT  SURPRISES    ....  >;  59 

VI  THE  HARROWING  DETAILS      .     .     .  >:  81 

VII  A  LITTLE  SCHEME  THAT  WORKED    ,;  >:  97 

VIII  ACCLIMATING  THE  CITY  GIRLS     .     .  .  116 

IX  SEVERAL  MISUNDERSTANDINGS  .  .  >  136 

X  THE  DANCE  AT  BEAR  FORKS  .  .  .  >  153 

XI  IN  THE  WILDERNESS    ......  169 

XII  THE  BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE  .  .  191 

XIII  A  NIGHT  IN  THE  CAVE     .     .     .     .  .215 

XIV  OLD  MONTRESOR'S  LEGACY     .     .     .  .  229 
XV  MONTRESOR'S  CLAIM  is  JUSTIFIED     .  .  243 

XVI  A  YOUNG  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK  .  .  260 

XVII  SARY'S  AMBITIONS .  >  291 


POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

CHAPTER   I 

THE  FARM  IN  PEBBLY  PIT 

"POLLY!  POLL-EE!"  sounded  musically  from 
the  direction  of  the  kitchen  doorway  in  a  ranch- 
house,  and  reached  Polly  Brewster  as  she  knelt 
beside  her  pet  in  the  barn. 

"Run  outside  and  see  what  Maw  wants,  Poll," 
said  Mr.  Brewster,  who  was  working  faithfully 
over  the  object  of  Polly's  solicitous  devotion. 

Obediently,  Polly  ran  out  and  shaded  her  eyes 
as  she  gazed  across  the  great  depression  of  the 
volcanic  crater  which  had  made  such  a  wonderful 
farm  for  the  Brewsters.  At  the  door  of  the  long, 
squat  homestead,  stood  Mrs.  Brewster,  waiting 
for  an  answer. 

The  moment  she  saw  Polly,  she  called:  "Din- 
ner-r's  ready !" 

"All  right!"  shouted  the  girl,  waving  her  sun- 
l 


2  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

bonnet   to   signify   she   had   heard   the   message. 

Mrs.  Brewster  returned  to  the  kitchen  and 
Polly  went  back  to  her  father's  side.  He  glanced 
up  as  she  entered  the  barn,  and  Polly  replied  to 
his  questioning  look. 

"Maw  said  dinner's  ready." 

"Well,  Ah  reckon  Noddy's  all  right  now,  Poll," 
said  the  rancher,  as  he  stood  up  to  stretch  his  tired 
muscles. 

"I  felt  sure  she  would  be,  Paw,"  returned  Polly, 
positively. 

"If  only  Jeb  was  about,  now,  Ah  could  leave 
him  with  Noddy,  with  directions  about  the  medi- 
cine, till  we-all  get  back  from  dinner,"  mused  Mr. 
Brewster,  standing  in  the  doorway  to  look  about 
for  Jeb. 

"Why,  Daddy!  Do  you  suppose  I'd  leave 
Noddy  with  Jeb  for  a  single  moment?  And  just 
as  we  saved  her  life,  too  !  I  reckon  not !  I'll  stop 
here  myself  and  watch  her,"  declared  Polly  with 
finality,  as  she  assumed  the  post  vacated  by  her 
father,  and  held  the  little  burro's  fuzzy  head  up- 
on her  knees. 

Sam  Brewster  smiled  as  he  watched  Polly  bend 
over  her  pet  and  whisper  affectionately  in  the 
long,  sensitive  ear. 

"Poll,  Jeb  will  shore  say  you  used  witchcraft 


THE  FARM  IN  PEBBLY  PIT          3 

on  the  burro ;  he  said  Noddy  was  done  for — being 
buried  under  that  slide  the  way  she  was." 

"Noddy  would  have  been  done  for  jf  Jeb  had 
had  her  in  charge ;  but  she  just  couldn^t  refuse  to 
live,  with  me  right  here  calling  her  back,  you 
know.  She  loves  me  so,  she  had  to  listen  to  my 
voice,"  explained  Polly,  with  suspicious  moisture 
in  her  big  blue  eyes. 

"Ah  reckon  that's  it,  Poll!  Love  works  won- 
ders if  we'd  only  let  it.  And  you  love  everything 
in  a  way  that  everything  loves  you  back  again. 
It  beats  me,  how  the  beavers,  and  foxes,  and 
even  the  bears  treat  you  as  if  you  were  one  of 
them,  instead  of  running  to  cover.  As  for  the 
chicks  and  colts  and  lambs  on  the  ranch — why, 
they'd  follow  you  to  Oak  Creek,  if  they  could!" 

Polly  smiled  happily  as  she  looked  away  over 
the  distant  mountain-sides  where  Nature's  crea- 
tures roamed  unrestrained.  And  then  her  eyes 
rested  upon  the  pastures  nearer  home,  where  the 
farm  pets  grazed.  Every  one  of  them,  wild  or 
tame,  were  her  friends. 

"Reckon  Ah'll  go  now,  Poll.  What  shall  Maw 
do  about  the  dinner?" 

"Tell  her  not  to  bother  about  me.  I'll  wash 
the  dishes  when  I  get  back,  Daddy." 

So  Mr.   Brewster  started  for  the  house   and 


4  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Polly  settled  herself  in  a  more  comfortable  posi- 
tion while  crooning  to  little  Noddy.  As  she  sat 
holding  the  little  burro's  head,  her  thoughts  wan- 
dered back  to  the  time  when  Noddy  was  but  three 
days  old.  The  mother  had  died  and  left  the  tiny 
bundle  of  brown  wool  to  be  brought  up  on  a  nurs- 
ing bottle.  To  keep  the  baby  burro  warm  it  had 
been  wrapped  in  an  old  blanket  and  placed  back 
of  the  kitchen  stove.  Thus  Noddy  first  learned 
to  walk  in  the  large  kitchen  of  the  log  ranch- 
house,  and  later  it  felt  quite  like  a  member  of 
the  family. 

Being  such  a  sleepy  little  colt,  the  name  of 
Noddy  was  considered  very  appropriate  but,  as  the 
burro  grew  older,  it  showed  such  intelligence  and 
energy  that  its  name  was  a  dreadful  misnomer. 

Noddy  considered  Polly  her  particular  charge 
and  followed  her  about  the  place  like  a  dog.  And 
when  the  burro  was  full-grown,  she  became  the 
daily  companion  that  Polly  rode  to  school,  over 
the  mountain  trails,  or  about  the  farm. 

The  wise  western  burros  are  not  half  appre- 
ciated by  folks  who  do  not  understand  their  un- 
usual intelligence  and  their  devotion  to  their  mas- 
ters. They  will  seek  for  water  or  edible  herbs 
when  lost  on  the  desert  or  mountain  peaks 
sacrifice  life  to  save  that  of  the  rider's. 


THE  FARM  IN  PEBBLY  PIT          5 

But  Noddy's  present  condition  was  not  due  to 
sacrifice.  Most  of  the  horses  and  burros  at  Pebbly 
Pit  showed  such  an  aversion  to  the  Rainbow  Cliffs 
that  they  never  grazed  near  there,  although  the 
luxuriant  grass  made  fine  pasturage.  These  cliffs 
were  the  local  wonder  and  gave  the  farm  its  name. 
They  were  a  section  of  jagged  "pudding-stone" 
wall  composed  of  large  and  small  fragments  of 
gorgeously  hued  stones  massed  together  in  loose 
formation,  like  shale.  Great  heaps  of  these  jew- 
eled fragments,  which  crumbled  easily  from  the 
cliff,  lay  piled  up  along  the  base  of  the  wall  and 
sparkled  brilliantly  when  the  sun  shone  upon  them, 
or  directly  after  a  rain. 

Noddy  had  been  pasturing  out  the  night  be- 
fore her  accident,  and  at  sunrise  found  herself 
too  near  the  tabooed  cliffs.  She  lifted  her  ears 
suspiciously,  wrinkled  her  nose  fearfully,  and 
wheeled  to  run  away  to  a  more  desirable  locality. 
But  in  that  quick  turn  she  loosened  the  shale  at 
the  base  of  a  steep  descent.  The  treacherous 
rock  slid  and  threw  her  down.  Before  she  could 
get  up  and  away  the  great  mass  rumbled  down 
and  covered  her,  but  she  finally  managed  to  work 
her  head  free  for  breath. 

Jeb,  out  early  to  seek  for  stray  cattle,  saw  the 
fresh  slide  and  gazed  wonderingly  at  it.  Then  he 


6  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

spied  the  nose  and  hoof  of  a  burro  protruding 
from  the  shale.  He  rushed  to  the  barn  where  he 
had  left  Mr.  Brewster,  and  in  a  short  time  master 
and  man  had  the  tools  and  "cradle"  back  at  the 
spot,  and  Noddy  was  soon  unearthed.  She  was 
unconscious,  and  Jeb  declared  it  was  useless  to 
bother  with  a  burro  so  evidently  far  gone.  Even 
Mr.  Brewster  feared  she  was  past  help,  but  Polly 
insisted  that  Noddy  must  live. 

All  that  morning  Polly  sat  holding  the  limp 
brown  head  while  whispering  words  of  affection 
in  the  long  ears,  and  who  will  say  that  Noddy's 
instinct  did  not  respond  to  love,  even  though  the 
physical  sense  of  hearing  was  deaf  to  earthly 
sounds  ?  She  slowly  revived  and  was  resting  com- 
fortably when  the  house-call  came  for  dinner. 

Mr.  Brewster  returned  after  dinner,  bringing 
a  bowl  of  gruel  for  the  burro,  and  Jeb  followed 
his  master  to  inquire  about  the  patient. 

"Jeb,  you-all  help  me  feed  Noddy  while  Polly 
runs  to  the  house  for  her  dinner,"  said  Mr.  Brew- 
ster. 

"I'd  a  heap  rather  wait  here  and  help  with 
Noddy,  Paw!" 

"Oh,  Polly!  Maw  told  me  to  say  there  was  a 
letter  for  you.  Jim  Melvin  stopped  off  with  our 
mail  he  got  at  Oak  Creek  to-day." 


THE  FARM  IN  PEBBLY  PIT          7 

"A  letter!    Who  can  it  be  from?"  asked  Polly, 
wonderingly. 

"That's  what  you  must  find  out.  It  looks  like 
a  girl's  writing  and  it  is  post-marked  Denver. 
Who  do  you  know  there?"  replied  her  father. 

"Denver?  Why,  nobody!  I'll  run  and  see  who 
it's  from!"  cried  she  eagerly,  and  Mr.  Brewster 
smiled  at  the  success  of  the  ruse  to  get  his  daughter 
away  for  a  time. 

Polly  was  a  genuine  child  of  Nature.  Her  life 
of  little  more  than  fourteen  years  had  been  spent 
in  the  mountains  surrounding  her  ranch-home, 
Pebbly  Pit.  The  farm  was  oddly  located  in  the 
crater  of  an  extinct  volcano,  known  on  the  maps  as 
"The  Devil's  Grave."  Like  many  other  peaks 
scattered  about  in  this  region  of  Colorado,  the 
volcanic  fires  had  been  dead  for  centuries. 

The  outer  rim  of  the  crater  formed  a  natural 
wall  about  the  bowl,  and  protected  the  rich  and 
fertile  soil  of  the  farm  from  the  desert  winds  that 
covered  other  ranches  with  its  fine  alkali  dust. 
The  snows  in  winter,  lodging  in  the  crevices  of 
the  cliffs,  slowly  melted  during  the  progress  of 
summer,  thus  furnishing  sufficient  moisture  for 
the  vegetation  growing  in  the  "bowl";  and  this 
provided  splendid  pasturage  for  the  herds  of  cat- 
tle owned  by  the  rancher. 


8  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

When  Sam  Brewster  staked  his  claim  in  this 
crater,  his  companions  jeered  at  the  choice  and 
called  the  place  "Pebbly  Pit."  But  the  young 
man  had  studied  agriculture  thoroughly  and  knew 
what  he  was  doing ;  then  the  test  made  by  the  gov- 
ernment convinced  him  of  this. 

Besides,  his  Denver  bride  preferred  the  beauty 
of  the  spot  to  the  more  sociable  but  draughty 
ranches  in  the  valley  of  Bear  Forks  River;  so 
they  settled  in  the  crater,  and  named  the  farm 
Rainbow  Cliffs,  but  the  original  nick-name  clung, 
and  gradually  the  owners,  from  habit,  also  came 
to  call  their  place  "Pebbly  Pit." 

In  the  mountains  where  the  government  gives  a 
settler  all  the  timber  he  needs,  transportation  is 
so  difficult  and  paid  labor  almost  unknown,  so 
that  the  size  and  quality  of  a  rancher's  house 
and  out-buildings  expresses  his  character.  Sam 
Brewster's  buildings  and  fences  were  as  solid  and 
comfortable  as  any  in  the  State.  He  and  his  wife 
(a  refined  young  woman)  were  ambitious  and  en- 
ergetic, so  it  was  not  surprising  that  they  suc- 
ceeded in  life. 

When  John,  the  first-born,  had  completed  his 
studies  at  High  School  in  Denver,  he  was  sent  to 
a  well-known  college  in  Chicago.  And  now  that 
Polly,  8e?en  years  John's  junior,  had  finished  her 


THE  FARM  IN  PEBBLY  PIT          $ 

grammar  course  at  the  little  Bear  Forks  log 
school-house,  she,  too,  was  determined  to  enter 
High  School  at  Denver. 

Sam  Brewster  had  stubbornly  refused  to  con- 
sent to  the  plan,  taking  for  an  excuse  that  no 
friends  or  relatives  remained  in  Denver  where 
Polly  might  board,  and  commutation  was  out  of 
the  question.  But  he  knew,  and  so  did  his  wife, 
that  the  truth  of  his  refusal  lay  in  the  fact  that 
he  could  not  bear  to  part  with  his  youngest  child — 
even  though  she  visited  at  home  each  week-end. 

Mrs.  Brewster  sided  with  Polly's  ambition,  and 
planned  to  visit  her  old  home  in  Denver  to  see 
if  she  could  find  any  friends  who  would  prove  to 
be  desirable  for  Polly  to  associate  with.  The 
matter  stood  thus  this  lovely  June  day  when  the 
unexpected  letter  arrived. 

The  very  unusual  occurrence  created  enough  in- 
terest for  Polly  to  take  her  mind  from  the  burro, 
so  she  ran  swiftly  towards  the  house  while  every 
possible  correspondent  she  could  think  of  passed 
through  her  thoughts.  But  she  was  as  much  at 
sea  as  ever,  when  she  danced  up  the  log  steps 
leading  directly  to  the  kitchen. 

"Maw,  Maw!  Where  are  you — is  there  really 
a  letter?" 

"Yes — from  Denver!     But  how  is  Noddy?" 


io  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

replied  Mrs.  Brewster,  coming  to  the  kitchen  door, 
holding  a  square  envelope  in  her  hand. 

"Dear  little  Noddy — she  is  all  right  now,  Maw, 
but  it  looked  mighty  bad  a  bit  of  time  back.  I 
just  had  to  pray  and  pray  with  all  my  might,  Maw 
— you  know  how!"  sighed  Polly,  taking  the  re- 
fined-looking letter  from  her  mother  without  see- 
ing it. 

"I  never  knew  how  I  loved  that  dear  little  bun- 
dle of  fuzz  and  flesh  till  I  thought  she  was  dead ! 
Oh,  I  am  so  glad  she  will  live  that  I  don't  care 
if  I  ever  eat  again  or  not!" 

Still  holding  the  precious  letter,  Polly  turned 
back  to  look  at  the  barn  where  the  object  of  her 
love  was  lapping  up  the  gruel.  Mrs.  Brewster 
smiled  indulgently  at  her  intense  young  daughter, 
then  reminded  her  of  the  unopened  communica- 
tion. 

"Dear  me !  So  much  excitement  in  one  day — I 
don't  see  how  I  can  quiet  down  again.  But  who 
do  you  suppose  would  write  to  me?"  queried 
Polly,  holding  the  envelope  at  arm's  length  and 
studying  the  hand-writing. 

"I'm  not  clairvoyant,  Polly,  so  suppose  you 
open  it  and  see  for  yourself,"  laughed  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster. 

"Well,  I  hate  to  spoil  this  nice  stationery  but— 


THE  FARM  IN  PEBBLY  PIT        n 

here  it  goes !"  murmured  Polly,  severing  an  end  of 
the  envelope  as  if  she  was  the  executioner  of  an 
innocent  victim. 

"See  who  it's  from,  Polly,  while  I  dish  up  your 
dinner.  Of  course  you  don't  care  whether  you 
ever  eat  again,  but  I  would  suggest  that  at  least 
you  strive  to  ward  off  starvation,"  remarked  her 
mother,  teasingly,  as  she  took  a  well-filled  plate 
from  the  oven. 

"Wh-h-y — of  all  things !"  gasped  Polly,  as  she 
read  the  letter  quickly. 

Mrs.  Brewster  stood  waiting  to  hear  more,  and 
Polly  gave  another  hurried  glance  at  the  signature 
before  explaining. 

"It's  from  Anne  Stewart — the  girl  who  used  to 
teach  at  Bear  Forks  school  that  time  the  teacher 
got  sick  and  had  to  leave  for  a  few  months.  You 
know — the  pretty  one  with  the  blonde  hair  that 
all  the  big  scholars  raved  over?"  announced  Polly. 

"Oh,  yes !  The  one  that  you  said  was  so  happy 
to  be  in  this  wonderful  country?" 

"Yes,  that's  the  girll  Well,  guess  what  she 
writes  me?"  And  Polly  waved  the  written  sheet 
above  her  head. 

"Polly,  have  you  been  writing  to  her  about  High 
School?"  hurriedly  asked  Mrs.  Brewster. 

"I  never  thought  of  that !     Maybe  we  can  plan 


iz  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

it  with  her,"  returned  Polly,  her  expression  chang- 
ing instantly  to  meet  the  new  suggestion  of  her 
mother's. 

"Well,  time  enough  to  settle  that  question.  Now 
tell  me  what  she  wrote,"  declared  Mrs.  Brewster, 
sighing  with  relief. 

"You'll  be  taken  right  off  your  feet,  Maw,  so 
you'd  best  sit  down  and  listen,"  advised  Polly,  nib- 
bling at  a  biscuit  while  she  waited  for  her  mother 
to  be  seated. 

"Now,  I  don't  want  you  to  shake  your  head  or 
say  a  word,  until  I'm  all  through  reading,  Maw. 
It's  something  terribly  surprising  and  goodness 
only  knows  why  she  asked  me.  I  was  so  young 
when  she  taught  school  that  she  never  noticed  me 
much." 

"Yes,  you  were  so  much  younger  two  years 
ago,  and  you  are  so  very  ancient  now!"  retorted 
Mrs.  Brewster,  trying  to  appear  serious. 

"You  know  what  I  mean — but  this  isn't  read- 
ing you  the  letter  and  I  know  just  how  you'll  gasp 
when  you  hear  her  brother — listen  and  I'll 
read  it." 


CHAPTER   II 

A  MOMENTOUS   LETTER 

11 

HAVING  seen  that  her  mother  was  seated  and 
ready  for  the  surprise,  Polly  read: 

"DEAR  Miss  POLLY: 

"As  you  are  fast  reaching  the  boundary-line 
where  girlhood  and  womanhood  meet,  I  feel  I  must 
address  you  with  the  prefix  that  dignifies  this  stage 
of  your  life,  although  I  seem  to  know  you  best  as 
the  rosy-cheeked  little  girl  whose  name  of  'Polly* 
seemed  to  fit  her  exactly. 

"Perhaps  your  mother  will  be  surprised  that  I  did 
not  write  this  letter  to  her,  as  most  of  it  concerns  her 
and  her  family  directly.  But  I  can  best  explain 
why  I  am  writing  to  you  by  the  following: 

"My  brother  Paul  and  your  brother  John  are 
chums  in  college,  you  know,  and  I  heard  quite  re- 
cently that  you  wished  to  prepare  for  High  School 
in  Denver  this  fall.  When  a  friend  in  Chicago 
wrote  me  to  find  a  good  home  in  the  mountains  near 
Denver  where  I  can  stay  with  and  tutor  his 
daughters  during  the  summer,  I  thought  of  the  region  ? 
13 


14  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

about  Bear  Forks.  Having  been  there  myself,  I 
know  how  wonderful  the  country  and  climate  are. 

"If  your  mother  and  yourself  think  well  of  my 
proposition,  I  know  I  can  help  you  a  great  deal,  also, 
towards  preparing  you  for  High  School,  as  I  will 
have  to  devote  a  short  time  each  day  this  summer  in 
keeping  Eleanor  up  in  her  studies. 

"Last  year  Eleanor  and  Barbara  Maynard,  of 
Chicago,  came  to  board  with  us  in  Denver.  These 
girls  are  acquainted  with  Paul  and  John,  through 
their  brother  who  is  a  class-mate  of  the  boys.  The 
younger  girl,  Eleanor,  who  is  your  age,  had  been 
very  ill  and  the  doctor  ordered  her  to  Denver  be- 
cause of  the  wonderful  air.  Her  sister,  who  is  about 
my  age,  accompanied  her.  The  father,  Mr.  May- 
nard, engaged  me  to  tutor  Eleanor,  or  Nolla  we 
call  her,  during  her  stay  in  Denver,  as  she  was  back- 
ward in  lessons. 

"We  three  became  very  good  friends  and  when 
the  girls  went  back  to  Chicago,  I  -missed  their  com- 
panionship very  much.  I  had  a  letter  from  the 
father  last  week,  asking  me  to  find  a  mountain  re- 
sort for  this  summer  where  he  could  send  the  girls, 
as  Nolla  needs  the  invigorating  air  and  simple  life 
of  the  Rockies.  She  is  organically  sound  but  not 
strong  enough  to  stand  city  air  and  life. 

"Mr.  Maynard  has  been  through  the  Bear  Forks 
country  and  when  I  wrote  suggesting  a  ranch  there, 
he  immediately  wired  me  to  settle  the  matter  at  once. 
To-day  I  had  a  letter  from  the  mother  who  cannot 
go  with  her  daughters  for  the  summer,  so  she  asked 
me  to  go  with  them,  more  as  a  friend  and  adviser 


A  MOMENTOUS  LETTER  15 

than  as  a  tutor.  My  expenses  will  be  paid,  and  my 
salary  for  tutoring  Nolla  will  be  a  blessing  to  help 
Paul  through  his  third  year's  term  of  the  college 
course. 

"I  know  your  brother  is  away  with  Tom  Latimer 
on  some  practice  work  with  a  survey  crew,  so  his 
room  is  vacant  this  summer.  Then  too,  I  was  told 
by  John  that  you  had  a  small  spare  room  back  of 
the  kitchen,  so  that  three  girls  could  have  comfort- 
able quarters.  If,  by  any  chance,  your  mother  would 
consent  to  take  us  in  for  the  summer,  I  could  help 
you  with  your  preparatory  lessons  for  High  School 
next  term,  at  the  same  time  that  I  coach  Nolla. 
And  I  will  agree  for  myself  and  the  two  girls  that 
we  will  not  expect  any  other  than  your  usual  home- 
life. 

"This  unexpected  request  may  meet  with  disap- 
proval and  refusal  by  your  family,  but  do  not  let 
one  of  the  causes  be  on  the  grounds  of  the  extra 
work  we  might  create,  because  we  do  not  want  any 
fussing,  whatever,  but  we  do  want  to  be  treated  as 
members  of  the  family — to  do  our  share  of  anything 
that  needs  to  be  done. 

"Mr.  Maynard  wishes  his  girls  to  live  in  the  out- 
doors as  much  as  possible,  so  we  will  not  be  in  your 
mother's  way.  I  certainly  hope  your  father  and 
mother  will  allow  us  to  come,  and  I  can  promise 
you  that  you  will  enjoy  these  girls  very  much.  The 
terms  are  of  no  consequence,  Mr.  Maynard  said,  as 
he  is  ready  to  pay  anything  to  give  Nolla  a  quiet  home 
and  the  life  she  needs. 

"I  trust  you  can  persuade  your  mother  to  try  us, 


1 6  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

at  any  rate,  and  so,  hoping  for  a  favorable  reply  to 
this  letter, 

"I  am  your  sincere  friend, 

"ANNE  STEWART." 

While  Polly  read  the  letter  aloud,  her  mother 
thought  rapidly.  She  had  the  picture  of  a  charm- 
ing girl  who  had  often  met  John  Brewster  at 
social  gatherings  during  the  term  she  taught  the 
children  at  Bear  Forks.  Now  her  brother  Paul 
was  one  of  John's  chums  at  college.  Perhaps  this 
girl  had  visited  at  Chicago,  and  perhaps  John  had 
visited  her  home  at  Denver — but  he  had  never 
said  a  word  about  it.  It  was  very  evident  that  this 
girl  had  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  home- 
life  at  Pebbly  Pit,  and  this  knowledge  must  have 
reached  her  through  John.  Hence  John  and  she 
must  be  very  well  acquainted.  John  would  doubt- 
less marry  some  day,  but  his  mother  did  not  care 
to  see  him  entangled  before  he  had  launched  his 
bark  on  the  waters  of  his  ambition.  If  he 
was  touched  by  one  of  Cupid's  darts  to  fancy  him- 
self in  love  with  his  chum's  pretty  sister,  it  was 
good  judgment  for  his  mother  to  know  all  there 
was  to  be  known  about  the  girl.  Not  that  the 
letter  confessed  this  state  of  affairs,  but  the  mother 


A  MOMENTOUS  LETTER  17 

feared  that  such  must  be  the  case — for  who  could 
resist  loving  her  handsome,  clever  boy? 

"Maw!    I  said Anne  Stewart  is  perfectly 

lovely!" 

"Oh,  yes,  Polly!  So  I  believe,"  replied  Mrs. 
Brewster,  in  an  absent-minded  manner. 

"Well!  If  you'd  let  them  come  here  I  would 
love  it!" 

"You  can't  judge  beforehand,  Polly.  Having 
three  city  strangers  come  suddenly  to  live  at  a 
ranch  where  city  manners  are  unknown,  will  turn 
things  upside-down,  you  know." 

"But  you  see,  Maw,  the  teacher  offers  to  help 
me  with  lessons  so  I  can  pass  for  High  School  in 
the  fall,"  Polly  reminded  her  mother. 

"I  can  do  as  much  for  you,  dear,  without  the 
care  of  strangers,"  remonstrated  Mrs.  Brewster, 
who  would  not  commit  herself  until  she  had  had 
time  to  weigh  all  things  carefully. 

"Then  I  s'pose  you  intend  refusing  this  re- 
quest!" pouted  the  disappointed  girl. 

"I  wish  to  think  over  the  situation  most  wisely 
before  we  reply  to  the  letter.  Now  finish  your 
dinner  and  do  the  dishes.  I  am  going  to  take  my 
mending  to  the  side  porch." 

Polly  did  as  she  was  told  but  her  imagination 


1 8  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

strayed  to  Denver  and  Chicago,  as  she  tried  to 
picture  Barbara  and  Eleanor  Maynard  with  Anne 
Stewart,  visiting  Pebbly  Pit  that  summer.  Mean- 
time, Mrs.  Brewster  considered  the  pros  and  cons 
of  the  problem.  If  this  Anne  Stewart  proved  to 
be  the  sort  of  wife  John  needed,  it  would  be  ad- 
visable to  have  her  know  her  future  f amily-in-law. 
If  she  was  not  desirable,  it  would  be  discovered 
during  the  weeks  she  lived  under  the  same  roof 
with  John's  mother.  But  should  it  transpire  that 
there  was  no  cause  for  worry  about  John  and  this 
young  teacher,  she  would  still  prove  to  be  a  good 
friend  for  Polly  to  know  in  case  the  child  attended 
school  in  Denver  the  following  term.  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster had  almost  decided  to  speak  favorably  to 
Polly  of  the  plan,  when  the  girl  joined  her  on  the 
porch. 

"Do  you  suppose  Daddy  will  mind  having  so 
many  young  folks  about  the  place — that  is,  if  you 
will  let  them  come?" 

"I'm  sure  your  Paw  will  be  kappy  to  give  you 
pleasure,  and  you  know  how  glad  he  is  to  have 
young  people  visiting  here,  rather  than  having 
you  leave  home  to  visit  others,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Brewster,  slowly  drawing  the  yarn  through  a 
hole  in  a  sock. 

"While  I  washed  the  dishes,  I  wondered  if  he 


A  MOMENTOUS  LETTER  19 

would  say  anything  to  you  about  the  extra  work 
the  three  girls  will  make?"  said  Polly,  trying  to 
"feel"  her  mother  out. 

"That  will  be  his  main  objection,  I  think.  He 
had  planned  for  me  to  visit  my  old  friends  in 
Denver-,  this  summer,  but  this  new  departure  will 
make  it  impossible  for  me  to  be  away  from  here." 

"Oh,  Maw,  if  you  want  to  go  away,  don't  let 
these  girls  spoil  your  plans!"  cried  Polly,  con- 
tritely. 

"I  really  had  not  thought  of  my  own  pleasure 
in  visiting  old  friends  at  Denver,  Polly,  but  I  had 
planned  to  see  about  your  residence  this  winter 
should  you  attend  school  there.  I  want  you  to 
board  with  a  family  that  can  offer  you  the  proper 
atmosphere.  If  this  young  teacher  proves  to  be 
nice,  she  will  know  all  I  needed  to  find  out  about 
the  school  and  a  boarding  house,  and  I  will  not 
have  to  leave  my  beloved  home  at  all." 

"Well,  then,  it  all  depends  on  what  Daddy  will 
say!"  cried  Polly,  joyously.  "I  do  wish  he'd 
hurry  in." 

"He  must  have  known  your  wishes,  Polly;  I 
see  him  coming  towards  the  house,"  laughed  Mrs. 
Brewster. 

Polly  leaned  over  the  hand-rail  of  the  porch  to 
watch  her  father  coming  nearer  and  nearer.  Then, 


20  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

when  she  thought  he  was  in  hailing  distance,  she 
shouted : 

"Daddy!  Do  hurry  and  hear  the  news — came 
in  my  letter!"  And  the  missive  was  waved  back 
and  forth  to  urge  the  rancher  to  greater  speed. 

Mr.  Brewster  reached  the  porch  and  whipped 
off  his  wide  sombrero  to  mop  his  warm  forehead. 
"Well,  Maw,  did  Poll  tell  you  about  Noddy? 
Ah  tell  you  !  Our  Polly  is  some  doctor,  all  right !" 

As  the  rancher  chuckled  over  his  words,  Polly 
felt  she  had  been  guilty  of  neglect,  for  she  had 
quite  forgotten  to  ask  how  Noddy  was.  Mrs. 
Brewster  smiled  as  she  continued  her  darning. 

"Who's  with  Noddy  now — did  you  give  Jeb 
careful  instructions,  Paw?"  anxiously  queried 
Polly. 

"Noddy's  sleeping  as  peacefully  as  a  babe,  so 
you-all  needn't  worry  any  more.  Now  tell  me 
all  about  the  wonderful  letter." 

"Sam,  do  you  remember  that  golden-haired 
young  lady  from  Denver,  who  took  Miss  Shalp's 
place  at  Bear  Forks  school  for  a  few  months?" 
quickly  asked  Mrs.  Brewster. 

The  note  of  anxiety  in  the  query  was  not  over- 
looked by  the  rancher,  but  he  answered  indiffer- 
ently— to  all  appearances: 


A  MOMENTOUS  LETTER  21 

"Shore  thing,  wife.  Could  any  one  forget  such 
a  nice  girl  in  a  hurry?" 

"Well,  San*,  die  letter's  from  her — Anne  Stew- 
art is  her  name/' 

"Don't  tell. him  what!  Let  me  read  it,  Maw!" 
cried  Polly. 

So  the  letter  was  read  again  and  the  moment 
it  was  concluded  Polly  and  Mrs.  Brewster  looked 
fearfully  at  Mr.  Brewster,  for  they  both  expected 
violent  objections  from  him. 

But  the  rancher  stood  boring  a  hole  with  the  toe 
of  his  boot  down  through  the  soft  grass  sod,  while 
he  seemed  to  study  the  cobbler's  handiwork.  After 
a  few  moments  of  tense  silence,  he  looked  up  and 
laughed  heartily. 

"Who'd  have  thought  it,  Mary?  You,  young 
looking  enough  to  pass  for  a  blushing  bride  but 
having  a  son  old  enough  to  think  of  a  sweet-heart. 
And  little  Poll  here,  trying  to  bamboozle  us  to 
let  her  go  away  to  school.  Ah,  well!" 

Polly  gazed  from  father  to  mother  and  back 
again.  "What  has  John  got  to  do  with  this  let- 
ter? Gracious,  he  isn't  thinking  of  a  wife,  I 
hope!" 

Her  parents  laughed  at  her  perplexity,  and  Mr. 
Brewster  explained  satisfactorily  to  her  question: 


22  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"I  was  thinking  of  the  four  pretty  girls  we'd 
have  at  the  ranch  all  summer,  if  John  comes 
home  to  choose  one  of  them." 

"Oh,  Daddy!  Then  you'll  have  them  come?" 
cried  Polly,  at  the  same  time  jumping  at  her  father 
to  throw  her  arms  about  his  neck. 

"On  one  condition — yes.  That  is:  a  gal  to  do 
the  chores  for  Maw,  so  she  can  look  after  such 
a  handful  of  trouble  as  three  new  ready-made 
daughters  will  make  for  her." 

"A  hired  girl !  Why,  Sam,  how  you  talk.  What 
could  I  ever  do  with  help  in  such  a  small  house? 
Besides,  Anne  Stewart  says  they  will  help  with  the 
work,"  objected  Mrs.  Brewster. 

"That's  my  only  condition!  You're  not  going 
to  slave  for  a  lot  of  city  girls  if  I  know  it.  Why, 
they  won't  know  how  to  hold  a  kitchen  knife, 
let  alone  cook  for  the  family,"  replied  Mr.  Brew- 
ster. 

"I'll  agree  at  once,  Sam,  because  I  know  there 
isn't  a  girl  or  woman  to  hire  within  fifty  miles  of 
Oak  Creek,"  laughed  Mrs.  Brewster. 

"Then  Polly  can  answer  the  letter  as  she  likes, 
and  I  will  hunt  up  a  gal.  You  said  it :  you'd  agree 
to  hire  help  if  one  can  be  found!"  quickly  came 
from  the  rancher. 

"Sam,  you  took  this  occasion  to  have  your  own 


A  MOMENTOUS  LETTER  23 

way  about  hired  help,"  laughed  his  wife,  shaking 
her  head  deprecatingly. 

"You  never  would  listen  before,  but  now  you've 
got  to!"  said  Mr.  Brewster,  triumphantly. 

"Polly,  you  can  run  in  and  answer  that  letter 
as  soon  as  you  like,"  hinted  Mrs.  Brewster,  and 
the  girl  eagerly  obeyed. 

While  she  wrote  the  answer  over  and  over  till 
it  met  with  her  approval,  her  parents  exchanged 
confidences  regarding  John  and  this  young  teacher, 
but  Polly  never  dreamed  of  such  fears. 

The  letter  that  left  Pebbly  Pit  the  following  day 
was  the  first  thread  woven  in  the  warp  and  woof 
of  two  young  lives — Eleanor  Maynard  in  Chi- 
cago and  Polly  Brewster  in  the  Rockies.  Had 
the  reply  been  other  than  it  was,  would  these  two 
girls  have  met  and  experienced  the  interesting 
schooldays,  college  years,  and  business  careers 
that  they  enjoyed  through  becoming  acquainted 
that  summer  at  Pebbly  Pit? 


CHAPTER  in 

PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN 

THE  letter  sent  from  Pebbly  Pit  to  Anne  Stew- 
art was  forwarded  by  the  latter  to  the  Maynard 
girls  in  Chicago.  It  was  eagerly  read  aloud  to 
Mrs.  Maynard  by  Barbara.  Reaching  the  para- 
graph in  the  letter  where  Mrs.  Brewster  asked 
Anne  Stewart  if  she  thought  five  dollars  a  week 
for  the  board  of  each  would  be  asking  too  much, 
Barbara  dropped  the  sheet  of  paper  and  gasped. 
An  expression  of  incredulity  appeared  on  the  faces 
of  the  mother  and  daughter,  while  Eleanor 
laughed  outright. 

"Just  fancy!  Five  dollars  a  week!"  she  cried, 
throwing  herself  back  on  the  cushions  of  the 
divan. 

"It  must  be  a  mistake!  I  trust  it  isn't  meant 
for  fifty  a  week!  That  is  about  the  price  a  good 
hotel  would  charge,  but  I  had  hoped  this  place 
would  be  more  reasonable.  However,  I  am  quite 
sure  that  figure  five  is  a  mistake;  no  one  can  pos- 
sibly give  meals  at  that  rate,  no  matter  how 

24 


PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN       25 

meager  the  fare  may  be!"  declared  Mrs.  May- 
nard. 

"The  writing  is  plain  enough  and  so  is  the 
figure  '5,'  mother,"  returned  Barbara,  referring 
again  to  the  letter,  then  handing  it  to  her  mother. 

Mrs.  Maynard  adjusted  her  lorgnette  and 
studied  the  figure  given.  "It  does  seem  to  be  five, 
without  a  doubt!"  admitted  she. 

"Oh,  well!  it  really  doesn't  matter  much  what 
the  price  is  just  as  long  as  we  have  a  good  time 
this  summer!"  exclaimed  Eleanor. 

"But,  Nolla,  dear,  it  does  matter !  Your  father 
is  dreadfully  upset  about  our  plans.  He  says  my 
Newport  season  will  cost  far  more  than  I  fancied 
it  would,  and  you  two  girls  going  to  a  mountain 
resort  like  this  is  an  extra  cost.  He  will  have 
to  be  away  all  summer  on  important  business  con- 
nected with  the  bank,  and  that  will  cost  extra 
money.  Altogether,  he  feels  anything  but  indif- 
ferent," sighed  Mrs.  Maynard,  handing  the  letter 
back  to  Barbara. 

"Well,  we  are  not  responsible  for  father's  wor- 
ries over  the  bank's  loans,  but  we  are  concerned 
about  the  style  and  quality  of  meals  to  be  served 
at  this  Brewster  place  for  five  dollars  a  week," 
scorned  Barbara. 

"I  don't  believe  Anne  Stewart  would  take  us  to 


26  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

a  place  where  anything  was  horrid  and  cheap! 
She  knows  what's  good  as  well  as  we  do!"  de- 
fended Eleanor,  who  was  eager  to  go  to  this  moun- 
tain ranch. 

"Nolla  is  quite  right,  Bob.  Anne  is  too  par- 
ticular to  engage  board  in  an  undesirable  house 
or  hotel!"  added  Mrs.  Maynard. 

"Besides,  these  Brewsters  have  a  farm,  you 
know,  and  I  suppose  they  raise  lots  of  things  that 
we  have  to  pay  such  awful  prices  for — eggs, 
chickens,  butter  and  vegetables,"  added  Eleanor. 

Mrs.  Maynard  and  Barbara  looked  with  ad- 
miration at  the  young  girl,  for  that  was  an  idea 
they  had  not  thought  of! 

"Of  course,  that's  why  they  can  board  us  so 
reasonably!  Then,  too,  I  suppose  they  do  their 
own  marketing  for  other  items  of  food,  such  as 
delicacies  and  supplies  from  the  baker's !  It  does 
make  a  difference  in  the  accounts,  you  see,  when 
one  markets !"  ventured  Barbara,  glancing  at 
her  mother  who  never  bothered  about  anything 
connected  with  the  housekeeping — leaving  it  all 
for  the  servants  to  do. 

"Now,  Bob,  don't  criticize  your  mother's 
methods.  I  can't  drudge  about  the  house  and 
take  charge  of  the  Social  Clubs  and  Welfare  Work 
as  well,"  complained  Mrs.  Maynard. 


PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN      27 

"Of  course  not,  Bob !  Besides,  mother  never 
did  know  a  good  cut  of  beef  from  a  poor  one — 
they  never  taught  domestic  science  in  her  day,  you 
see,"  hurriedly  interpolated  Eleanor,  hoping  to 
waive  a  scene  such  as  was  a  common  occurrence 
between  Barbara  and  her  mother. 

"Nolla,  are  you  sarcastic  about  my  education?" 
queried  Mrs.  Maynard,  with  dignity. 

"Mercy,  no !  I  only  tried  to  show  Bob  the 
difference  in  present  day  methods  and  the  past." 

Mr.  Maynard  entered  the  room  during 
Eleanor's  reply,  and  smiled  as  he  heard  his  young- 
est daughter's  frank  words.  It  was  a  keen  pleas- 
ure to  him  to  have  one  child  fearless  in  thought 
and  word.  His  son  and  elder  daughter  had  been 
spoiled  by  fawning  tutors  and  companions,  so  they 
had  acquired  the  habit  of  white-washing  facts  to 
suit  the  needs.  Eleanor  had  been  too  delicate  to 
attend  any  expensive  and  fashionable  seminary 
and,  being  taught  by  Anne  Stewart  while  in  Den- 
ver, had  acquired  many  of  Anne's  splendid  ways. 

"Frederick,  what  do  you  know  about  this  moun- 
tain resort  you  asked  Anne  Stewart  to  write 
about?"  asked  Mrs.  Maynard. 

"Well,  now  that  we  are  all  together  and  have 
the  time  to  talk  this  matter  out,  I  will  say  my 
say,"  replied  Mr.  Maynard,  seating  himself  anr 


28  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

drawing  Eleanor  down  beside  him  upon  the  divan. 

"You  remember  the  first  year  we  were  married 
— I  had  to  visit  Bear  Forks  to  investigate  a  loan 
one  of  our  clients  at  the  bank  asked  us  to  make 
on  a  tract  of  timber-land?  You  wouldn't  go  with 
me  when  you  heard  we  would  have  to  camp  out 
at  night  and  ride  horses  over  rough  mountain- 
trails.  That  is  the  season  you  visited  your  school- 
friend  in  the  East." 

Mr.  Maynard  looked  at  his  wife  as  he  spoke 
and  she  nodded  her  head  as  if  the  memory  was 
not  pleasant  to  recall.  Her  husband  smiled  an 
enigmatical  smile  and  continued  his  description. 

uThat  is  when  I  met  Sam  Brewster  and  his 
wife — they  had  been  married  about  as  long  as  we 
had,  and  their  happy  ranch-life  struck  me  as  be- 
ing the  most  desirable  existence  I  ever  heard 
of." 

Mrs.  Maynard's  lips  curled  in  silent  derision. 
She  understood  her  husband's  yearning  for  a 
simple  life  in  place  of  the  frivolous  and  empty 
excitement  of  the  social  career  she  had  made  for 
herself  and  family. 

"The  country  about  the  sections  I  visited  is 
beautiful  and  healthy,  and  as  Nolla  is  ordered  to 
a  quiet,  mountainous  region  for  a  time,  I  know 
of  no  place  so  suitable.  Besides,  Anne  Stewart 


PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN       29 

has  been  there,  too,  and  she  is  wild  over  the 
place." 

"But  you  are  so  old-fashioned  in  your  ideas 
of  living  and  pleasures,  father,  and  I  want  to 
know  if  this  place  will  suit  me.  Are  the 
Brewsters  members  of  the  best  set  there,  or  will 
I  be  left  absolutely  unaided  to  find  a  way  to  meet 
young  people  such  as  we  would  like  to  know?" 
asked  Barbara,  anxiously. 

"The  Brewsters  are  by  far  the  wealthiest  family 
in  that  whole  section  of  country,  and  I  have  heard 
that  the  ranch  and  house  are  the  finest  in  the 
state.  You  met  young  John  Brewster  at  the  Col- 
lege Prom  and  you  can  tell  what  you  think  of  him." 

"Ye-es,  young  Brewster  is  all  right.  Every 
one  seemed  to  think  he  is  exceptionally  nice," 
remarked  Barbara. 

Mrs.  Maynard  sighed  with  relief  as  she  felt 
that  a  weight  had  been  lifted  from  her  mind. 
She  was  anxious  to  have  her  two  daughters  climb 
the  social  ladder  to  a  higher  plane  than  she  had 
been  able  to  reach,  so  she  knew  they  must  be  care- 
ful to  associate  with  only  those  who  had  already 
arrived  there  through  forbears  or  ambition. 

"Then  we  can  wire  Anne  at  once  to  complete 
arrangements,  Frederick?"  ventured  the  lady, 
watching  her  husband's  expression. 


30  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"I'll  attend  to  that  but  when  can  you  be  ready 
to  go?"  asked  Mr.  Maynard,  glancing  from  one 
to  the  other  of  the  trio. 

"The  same  day  you  start,  Daddy!"  declared 
Eleanor,  giving  her  father  a  hug. 

"Why,  we  simply  can't,  Nolla !  Father  leaves 
Chicago  next  week  and  we  have  so  much  to  pre- 
pare before  going  to  a  place  where  we  are  apt  to 
meet  the  very  elite  of  society,"  cried  Barbara. 

"It  will  take  fully  two  weeks  to  go  through 
the  girls'  wardrobe,  Frederick,  and  see  that  every- 
thing is  the  last  word,"  added  Mrs.  Maynard, 
explanatory  of  her  eldest  daughter's  dismay. 

"Well,  fix  things  up  any  way  you  say,  but  I'm 
off  for  the  bank  when  you  begin  talking  dress," 
laughed  Mr.  Maynard. 

"Now,  Frederick,  don't  leave  us  like  this !  You 
know  we  will  need  money  to  fit  out  the  girls,  and 
then  you  must  have  some  idea  of  when  Anne  can 
expect  them  in  Denver,"  hurriedly  said  Mrs.  May- 
nard as  her  husband  crossed  the  room  to  leave. 

"Daddy,  I  don't  want  another  thing  to  wear; 
I've  got  so  many  things  now  that  it  makes  me 
tired  to  keep  changing  to  suit  the  thousand  and 
one  occasions,"  declared  Eleanor,  running  after 
her  father  to  kiss  him  good-by. 

"Nolla!   I   declare  you  will  never  grow  up! 


PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN      3! 

Pray  walk  like  a  lady  when  you  cross  a  room, 
won't  you?"  complained  Barbara. 

Eleanor  smiled  up  at  her  father  and  he  pinched 
her  thin  cheek  as  he  stooped  to  kiss  her.  Then 
he  waved  his  hand  at  the  others  and  left  the  room. 
Once  outside  the  door  and  safely  out  of  hearing 
he  chuckled  to  himself. 

"Bob  pictures  a  gay  resort  with  troops  of  male 
admirers  to  play  tennis  and  dance  away  the  hours 
with.  She  is  thinking  of  dress  to  captivate  her 
'moths,'  but  Nolla  is  thinking  of  the  rural  pleas- 
ures she  has  heard  me  describe  to  her.  If  Bob 
knew  the  truth,  she'd  never  go,  and  poor  little 
Nolla  would  lose  the  most  wonderful  opportunity 
of  her  young  life.  I'd  best  not  prejudice  Bob 
or  mother,  but  just  pay  the  bilb  ror  finery  and 
whims  and  bide  my  time." 

Soon  after  arriving  at  his  bank-office  he  sent  a 
message  to  Anne  Stewart  at  Denver,  advising  her 
to  engage  the  rooms  at  the  Brewster  home.  As 
an  afterthought,  he  added  that  he  was  anxious  to 
have  Eleanor  get  away  about  the  time  he  left 
home  for  his  trip. 

That  afternoon  he  carried  home  the  reply  from 
Anne  Stewart:  "Have  engaged  rooms  and  board 
from  next  week  on.  Wire  when  to  expect  you 
at  Denver.  Anne." 


32  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Mrs.  Maynard  had  heard  from  her  friends  that 
day  that  their  plans  were  changed  and  now  they 
expected  to  leave  Chicago  sooner  than  she  had 
thought.  This  made  her  agree  quickly  to  having 
her  daughters  start  the  following  week. 

"But,  mother,  it  can't  be  done.  I  need  a  rid- 
ing habit,  and  tennis  clothes,  and  a  few  new  after- 
noon gowns  and  evening  dresses!"  remonstrated 
Barbara. 

"You  had  a  new  habit  last  fall,  Bob,"  Eleanor 
said. 

"But  it  has  a  long  coat  and  full  bloomers.  No 
one  is  wearing  that  style,  now.  Everything  is 
mannish  coats  and  tight  knickerbockers,"  argued 
Barbara. 

"I  will  call  up  the  tailor  at  once,  girls,  and  have 
him  give  us  the  preference  over  other  work," 
Mrs.  Maynard  replied. 

"Not  for  me!  I  don't  like  the  tight  habits. 
I  shall  take  my  bloomer  one,"  replied  Eleanor, 
decidedly. 

"Dear  me,  Nolla !  You  don't  seem  to  care 
a  fig  about  your  appearance.  What  will  become 
of  you  when  it  is  time  for  you  to  make  your 
debut?"  sighed  Mrs.  Maynard,  despondently. 

"I'm  not  going  to  do  anything  so  silly — I'm 
going  into  business  when  I  grow  up !" 


PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN      33 

"Oh!" 

"Nolla !" 

Mother  and  sister  could  hardly  gasp  the  words 
as  they  turned  shocked  eyes  in  the  direction  of 
Mr.  Maynard  who  had  been  writing  out  checks 
for  his  family.  He  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and 
laughed  heartily  at  the  independence  of  his  young- 
est child. 

"Frederick!  Now  you  see  what  comes  of  your 
petting  Nolla  whenever  she  says  or  does  anything 
dreadful!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Maynard. 

"Is  business  so  dreadful,  then?  Anne  Stewart 
seems  all  right,  and  she  is  earning  her  living," 
ventured  Eleanor. 

"I  wash  my  hands  of  you,  after  this,  Eleanor! 
If  you  do  anything  so  unheard  of  as  you  threaten, 
no  one  will  keep  up  with  you,"  declared  Barbara, 
sternly. 

"They'll  have  to  travel  mighty  fast  to  keep 
up  with  me,  Bob,  once  I  am  of  age  and  start 
in  business,"  laughed  Eleanor. 

"That  will  do,  young  lady!  Remember  you 
are  only  fourteen,  and  business  is  a  long  time 
off  for  you!"  Mrs.  Maynard  remarked. 

Then  Eleanor  hung  over  the  back  of  her 
father's  chair  twisting  the  iron-gray  hair  into 
ridiculous  points  while  her  mother  and  Barbara 


34  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

forgot  her  presence  and  planned  many  fetching 
gowns  for  the  summer  campaign.  Both  were 
fair  examples  of  modern  society  and  its  aims, 
and  they  sacrificed  many  worth-while  plans  and 
pleasures  upon  the  altar  of  their  fickle  goddess. 

So  it  followed  that  the  fashionable  tailors,  the 
modiste  and  the  lingerie-maker  stitched  and  fitted 
and  clipped,  on  beautiful  materials  and  trimmings, 
until  everything  was  ready  for  Barbara's  summer 
victory.  Eleanor  steadfastly  refused  to  be  an- 
noyed by  having  new  clothes  made,  so  her  trunk 
was  packed  with  the  wardrobe  she  already  had 
on  hand. 

"Of  course,  Nolla's  appearance  is  not  of  as 
much  consequence  as  yours,  Bob,  as  she  still  is 
so  young  and  delicate.  It  is  different  with  you, 
however,  and  I'm  so  glad  you  are  sensible  to 
appreciate  what  a  difference  clothes  make,"  said 
Mrs.  Maynard,  resignedly,  as  the  seven  trunks 
were  packed  and  waiting  for  the  expressman. 

"I'm  glad  your  fussing  is  over  at  last.  If  you 
had  much  more  to  sew  and  fit  we  never  would  get 
away!"  grumbled  Eleanor,  watching  the  man  stag- 
ger as  he  carried  the  heavy  trunks  downstairs. 

"Well,  I'll  soon  be  reaping  the  benefit  of  my 
patience  and  you'll  be  sorry  you  were  so  indifferent 
over  your  looks,"  retorted  Barbara,  turning  away 


PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN      35 

from  the  window  once  her  five  trunks  were  safely 
on  the  express  wagon. 

"Girls,  you're  sure  everything  that  Celeste 
wrote  down  on  the  list  is  packed?  Your  com- 
plexion crearn  in  case  of  freckles  or  tan — and  the 
shampoo  mixture  for  the  hair-dresser  to  use? 
Tell  him  I  never  allow  you  to  use  ready-made 
preparations  on  your  hair." 

"Yes,  mother,  all  the  toilet  articles  are  in  the 
small  trunk,  and  the  few  extra  things  were  packed 
in  Eleanor's  trunk  because  she  had  a  corner  with 
nothing  to  fill  in  it,"  explained  Barbara. 

"Thank  goodness  we  can  eat  dinner  and  go 
to  bed  to-night  without  being  served  styles  and 
fits !"  sighed  Eleanor,  not  meaning  to  be  irrever- 
ent at  her  mother's  gospel. 

Anne  Stewart  had  not  mentioned  the  need  of 
mountain-shoes  and  good  plain  clothing  in  her 
letters  to  the  Maynards,  because  Mr.  Maynard 
particularly  requested  her  to  delete  such  items. 
Anne  was  bright  at  reading  minds  and  smiled  as 
she  surmised  the  reason  for  the  restriction.  She 
knew  Eleanor  would  glory  in  old  clothes  and  a 
good  time,  but  would  Barbara  be  so  willing  to 
visit  Pebbly  Pit  farm  if  she  knew  the  truth  about 
the  environment? 

Anne's  single  steamer  trunk  was  filled  with  sen- 


36  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

sible  clothes  and  the  toilet  articles  she  knew  she 
would  need  for  the  summer.  Then  she  wired  the 
Maynards  to  say  all  was  waiting  to  hear  from 
them.  And  Barbara  wired  back  that  they  would 
meet  her  at  the  Denver  Terminal  Station  at  the 
day  and  time  agreed  upon. 

Meantime,  great  preparations  were  under  way 
at  Pebbly  Pit.  John's  room  had  to  be  cleaned 
and  rearranged  for  the  young  ladies.  While 
Polly  and  her  mother  planned  the  work,  Mr. 
Brewster  made  a  thorough  search  of  the  country- 
side in  hopes  of  finding  a  suitable  maid-servant 
for  his  wife  and  Polly. 

Most  ranchers  need  their  daughters  at  home, 
and  as  there  are  no  really  poor  or  poverty-stricken 
families  in  those  farming  sections,  the  task  of  find- 
ing a  servant  was  not  an  easy  one.  And  Mr. 
Brewster  realized  what  it  meant,  when  he  read 
in  the  papers  how  difficult  a  problem  it  was  be- 
coming— this  servant-girl  question! 

At  last,  as  he  was  about  to  despair  of  ever  find- 
ing any  one,  he  stopped  in  at  the  Oak  Creek  Post 
Office  to  see  if  there  was  any  mail.  Here  he  met 
a  rancher-friend  from  the  Yellow  Jacket  Pass 
region. 

"How-thar,  Sam  I"  called  Jim  Sattler,  heartily. 

"How-do  yourself,  Jim!"  returned  Mr.  Brew- 


PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN      37 

ster,  catching  hold  of  Jim's  hardened  hand  and 
shaking  it  back  and  forth. 

"You-all  air  a  sight  for  sore  eyes,  Sam!  Hain't 
seen  hide  nor  hair  of  any  one  of  you  for  nigh 
onto  a  year !  Be'n  keepin'  pritty  busy,  Sam?"  said 
Jim,  in  a  voice  that  rolled  forth  like  deep  thunder. 

"Mighty  busy,  Jim!  John's  away  to  college, 
you  know,  and  now  my  leetle  chick  thinks  she  can 
scratch  for  herself,  too.  She's  bound  to  go  to 
school,  in  Denver,  this  coming  fall." 

"Sam,  nuthin'  like  it,  these  days!  A  man  or 
woman  has  to  have  eddication  to  rassle  with  livin' ! 
Let  her  go  to  it,  says  Ah !  It  won't  be  long  afore 
my  boys'll  be  goin'  away,  too!" 

"That's  what  brings  me  here  to-day.  Ah 
have  been  hunting  for  some  kind  of  a  gal  to  help 
the  missus  this  summer  and  to  have  her  broken  in 
by  the  time  Polly  leaves  home,"  explained  Sam 
Brewster. 

"Git  one?" 

"Not  yet!  It  seems  they're  as  scarce  as  hen's 
teeth.  Ah  never  dreamed  it  would  be  such  a  job 
to  hunt  one  up,  or  Ah  doubt  if  Ah'd  have  con- 
sented to  have  those  girls  come  and  summer  with 
us." 

"See  har,  Sam!  Ah  bet  Ah  knows  just  the 
woman  for  you-all,  ef  you-all  ain't  lookin'  for  a 


38  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

young   gal   with   a   figger  like    a   wisp   of  hay." 

"Polly's  wisp  enough  for  one  ranch  1  So  Ah'm 
not  looking  for  style  but  stock.  Do  you-all  know 
one,  Jim?" 

"Ah  do  that!  Sary  Dodd's  her  name.  You 
know  Bill  Dodd,  don't  yuh — he  never  'mounted 
to  much  as  a  rancher." 

"Seems  to  me  Ah  do!  The  name's  familiar, 
anyway.  Did  he  come  from  Yellow  Jacket 
Pass  way?"  asked  Mr.  Brewster,  scratching  his 
neck,  thoughtfully. 

"The  same !  Wall,  he  died  an'  left  Sary  with 
nothing  but  funeral  costs.  She  had  to  sell  that 
measly  ranch  that  Bill  held  a  quarter  interest  in 
to  pay  bills,  and  now  she  hain't  got  nawthin' 
but  her  health.  Better  see  Sary,  Sam." 

It  was  the  dawn  of  hope  for  Mr.  Brewster. 
Since  starting  on  his  self-appointed  search,  he  had 
been  growing  more  and  more  despondent  of  suc- 
cess. Now  he  urged  his  horse  towards  Yellow 
Jacket  Pass  to  find  Sary  Dodd. 

After  seeking  at  various  ranches  for  the  elu- 
sive Sary,  he  located  her.  But  she  was  not  elu- 
sive looking.  She  was  six  feet  in  height  and  would 
tip  the  scales  easily  at  two  hundred  pounds. 

"Are   you   widow   Dodd?      Jim    Sattler   sent 


PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN      39 

me  to  see  if  you-all  would  like  a  place  to  live 
out?  We-all  have  company  for  the  summer  and 
my  wife  needs  help,"  explained  Sam  Brewster. 

Sary  beamed  and  exchanged  polite  introduc- 
tions. "You-all  tuk  me  clar  off  my  feet,  Mr. 
Brewster.  Yes,  Ah  did  think  some  of  goin'  in 
a  reel  good  fam'ly  to  wuk,  but  nawthin'  come 
up  fer  me,  so  Ah'm  visitin'  the  neighbors.  Do 
you-all  want  me  immijit?" 

The  rancher  saw  that  Sary  was  over-anxious 
to  accept  his  offer  of  a  place,  but  he  was  not  the 
man  to  take  advantage  of  her  in  financial  matters. 
So  he  replied: 

"Ah  s'pose  we  ought  to  fix  the  wage,  but  Mrs. 
Brewster  wants  some  one  at  once,  and  you-ali  can 
settle  salary  when  you-all  get  there." 

"Ah've  heerd  tell  what  a  square  man  you-all 
was,  Mr.  Brewster,  an'  now  Ah  knows  it!"  Sus- 
picious moisture  filled  Sary's  eyes  as  she  spoke. 

"Ah've  won  a  way  by  being  honest  in  all  my 
dealings,  for  it  pays  in  the  end.  But  tell  me — 
r  can  you  come  along?" 

"Ef  you-all  kin  wait,  Ah'll  tie  up  my  bundle  in 
a  minit!"  agreed  Sary,  anxiously. 

"All  right!  But  don't  waste  any  time  pack- 
ing your  ball-gowns,  Sary,"  laughed  Mr.  Brew- 


40  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

ster,  facetiously,  as  the  load  of  trouble  rolled  from 
his  heart. 

Sary  was  soon  perched  beside  the  rancher  on  the 
high  spring  seat  of  the  lumbering  ranch-wagon, 
tenderly  holding  a  half-dead  rubber  plant.  On 
that  drive,  her  host  heard  more  of  every  family 
history  of  the  ranchers  for  miles  around  than  he 
had  ever  dreamed  of  knowing  even  if  he  lived 
to  be  a  hundred. 

Sary  Dodd  arrived  at  the  ranch-house  the  day 
before  the  visitors  were  expected.  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster  and  Polly  were  in  the  midst  of  a  light  house- 
cleaning  as  the  strangers  must  not  find  a  speck 
of  dust  anywhere ! 

"Maw,  here's  Sary  Dodd!  Ah  got  her  to 
help  !"  shouted  Sam  Brewster,  pulling  up  his  horse 
by  the  side  of  the  porch. 

"Sary  Dodd!  Oh,  Sary,  I'm  right  glad  to  see 
you!  Come  in,  won't  you?"  greeted  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster, coming  to  the  door. 

"Just  in  time,  Mrs.  Dodd,  to  help  me  shove 
this  press  in  to  the  spare  room,"  added  Polly,  ar- 
resting her  work  to  smile  at  the  new-comer. 

"Give  Sary  time  to  lay  off  her  bonnet,  child!" 
reproved  Mrs.  Brewster,  pulling  out  a  rocker  for 
the  widow. 

"Laws  me !     What'cher  doin' — a-cleanin'  house 


PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN      41 

agin!"  cried  Sary,  leaning  against  the  door-frame 
panting  for  breath. 

"Winded,  Sary?  Ah  told  you-all  Ah'd  carry 
that  heavy  box  from  the  wagon.  But  no!"  ex- 
claimed Mr.  Brewster. 

Polly  was  over  by  the  door  by  this  time,  and 
she  stooped  to  carry  the  box  indoors. 

"Goodness!  What's  in  the  box  to  make  it  so 
heavy?" 

"Chil',  that  box  hoi's  all  my  treasures  on  arth ! 
Some  few  things  Bill  lef  me,  our  fam'ly  album, 
an'  my  gran'mother's  pieces  of  reel  silver — four 
plated!  And  mos'  of  all,  the  Brittania  cake  bas- 
ket Bill  gave  me  on  our  annerversary !"  explained 
Sary,  pathetically,  as  she  dabbed  a  black  cotton 
glove  at  her  dewy  eyes. 

"Sam,  take  the  team  to  the  barn  and  leave  Sary 
with  us.  We'll  soon  have  her  feeling  at  home," 
said  Mrs.  Brewster,  seeing  a  frown  coming  over 
her  lord  and  master's  face,  as  he  wondered  if 
his  home-life  was  to  be  shadowed  by  a  sorrowing 
widow ! 

The  moment  Mr.  Brewster  left  for  the  barn, 
his  wife  returned  to  the  "help,"  who  had  plumped 
herself  down  into  the  wooden  Boston  rocker 
and  was  fanning  herself  vigorously  with  a  news- 
paper. 


42  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Let  me  remove  your  bonnet,  Sary,"  offered 
Mrs.  Brewster  kindly,  taking  the  twisted  black 
strings  to  undo  the  knot  that  was  tightly  tied  under 
a  heavy  double  chin. 

"Ah  declar  t'  goodness,  Miss  Brewster,  ef  you- 
all  hain't  too  good !  Ah'll  jest  set  t'  git  my  second 
wind,  an'  then  Ah'll  tek  right  hoi'  of  things!" 
gasped  Sary. 

"Don't  hurry  yourself.  Just  cool  off  and  then 
you'll  feel  better  after  such  a  long  ride.  Shall  I 
send  Polly  to  the  spring-house  for  some  cold 
milk?"  asked  the  lady  of  the  house,  folding 
the  flimsy  crepe  token  of  Sary's  state  of  widow- 
hood. 

"G'wan  now,  Miss  Brewster — I'm  no  infant!" 
scoffed  Sary.  "Don'  cher  know  a  fat  bein'  mustn't 
tech  milk  'cause  it's  more  f attenin'  ?" 

The  hostess  refrained  from  giving  her  opinion, 
but  she  busied  herself  with  unpinning  the  rusty 
black  plush  cape  that  the  widow  had  donned  when 
she  began  her  journey  to  new  surroundings.  Be- 
ing quite  rested  by  this  time,  Sary  gripped  a  hold 
on  each  arm  of  the  rocker  and  managed  to  hoist 
her  bulky  form  out  from  the  too  close  embrace 
of  the  senseless  wooden  arms. 

"Now  ef  Polly  er  you-all  '11  show  me  whar  to 


PREPARING  FOR  THE  UNKNOWN      43 

bunk,  Ah  ricken  Ah'll  change  my  Sunday-best  anr 
pitch  inter  work,"  said  the  willing  help. 

"Polly,  you  drag  the  box  in  while  I  show  Sary 
her  room,"  called  Mrs.  Brewster,  coming  to  the 
door  that  opened  from  the  living-room  directly 
into  John's  chamber — now  to  be  a  guest  room. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  "SERVANT  PROBLEM"  SOLVED 

IN  the  wild  mountain  regions  of  the  Rockies, 
where  maids  are  unheard  of,  and  the  "hotels" 
provide  the  most  primitive  service,  the  house-wives 
have  little  concern  over  the  perplexing  question 
of  "help"  as  experienced  in  large  cities. 

If  it  is  necessary  to  assist  a  neighbor  who  is 
marrying  off  a  daughter  and  wants  to  provide  her 
with  a  trousseau,  a  sewing-bee  is  arranged  and 
ranchers'  families  for  miles  around  drive  in  and 
visit.  Quilts,  sheets,  and  other  necessities  are 
quickly  stitched  and  neatly  folded  out  of  the  way 
by  the  women,  while  the  men  occupy  themselves 
with  work  about  the  place  until  it  is  time  for  the 
grand  dinner. 

The  same  neighborly  help  is  offered  in  other 
emergencies,  so  that  few  families  want  servants. 
At  the  same  time,  help  has  not  been  looked  down 
upon  as  menial  work  by  the  ranchers,  and  so 
the  "help"  lives  as  a  member  of  the  family  that 
happens  to  secure  one. 

44 


"SERVANT  PROBLEiM"  SOLVED      45 

In  cases  such  as  Sary  Dodd's,  where  a  woman  is 
left  penniless  and  another  woman  needs  her  prac- 
tical aid,  the  two  meet  half-way  and  the  kitchen 
atmosphere  is  serene.  Quite  different  is  the  case 
in  cities,  however. 

Sary  felt  she  was  the  social  equal  to  any  ran- 
cher's wife,  for  had  she  not  been  mistress  of  a 
ranch,  too — even  though  it  was  never  paid  for. 
So  she  felt  she  was  doing  the  Brewsters  a  favor 
by  sharing  their  home  and  work,  even  while  she 
admitted  the  obligation  she  was  under  of  being 
provided  with  bed  and  board. 

The  tiny  room  allotted  to  the  widow  was  di- 
rectly back  of  the  kitchen  L.  It  had  a  single 
window  that  gave  a  fine  view  of  Rainbow  Cliffs, 
but  the  furniture  was  of  the  plainest.  Sary  took 
in  the  simplicity  in  one  glance  and  then  turned 
to  her  mistress. 

"Ah've  hear'n  tell  how  Sam  Brewster  kin  buy 
er  sell  th'  hull  township,  ef  he  likes,  Miss  Brew- 
ster," ventured  Sary,  slyly. 

But  the  mistress  had  heard  of  Sary's  proneness 
to  gossip  and  so  replied:  "We  don't  consider 
wealth  worth  anything  unless  you  know  what  to  do 
with  it.  We  live  as  comfortably  as  we  like,  and 
try  to  use  what  is  left  in  helping  others." 

Sary   made   no    reply   to   this    statement,    but 


46  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

watched  Mrs.  Brewster  go  to  the  window  and  pull 
on  the  cord  that  was  stretched  at  one  side  of  the 
window-frame.  Instantly,  the  decorated  window- 
shade  pulleyed  up  to  allow  more  light  to  shine  in- 
to the  room. 

"Now  Ah  see  how  that  wu'ks!"  cried  Sary, 
delightedly. 

Mrs.  Brewster  turned  with  a  questioning  look 
in  her  eyes. 

Sary  explained.  "Cal  Lorrimer  tol*  me  like-es- 
how  them  winder  shades  wu'ked  but  Ah  jest 
coulden'  see  it." 

Mrs.  Brewster  laughed  and  Sary  ventured  to 
pulley  the  shade  herself.  She  drew  it  up  and 
down  several  times  and  then  turned  to  express  her 
sentiments  to  her  mistress. 

"My,  but  yuh're  ferchunit  t'  have  all  sech  new- 
fangled idees  in  the  house !  It  clean  locoes  me  t' 
think  Ah'm  livin'  wid  sech  fine  contraptions." 
And  Sary  pressed  her  large  freckled  hands  over 
her  sparse  red  hair  to  signify  how  "locoed"  her 
brain  really  was. 

Mrs.  Brewster  laughed  merrily.  "Why,  Sary, 
since  I  left  Denver,  my  friends  all  have  shades 
in  the  windows  that  run  up  and  down  on  springs 
without  any  other  help.  They  go  by  them- 
selves." 


"SERVANT  PROBLEM"  SOLVED      47 

"Now,  Miss  Brewster!  Do  you  believe  that 
fairy-tale?"  quizzed  Sary,  looking  keenly  at  her 
mistress  to  see  if  she  was  trying  to  laugh  at  her 
ignorance  of  city-life. 

"It  is  a  fact,  Sary — not  a  fairy-tale.  My  friend 
has  them  all  through  her  house,  and  I  expect  to 
replace  these  pulleys  with  spring  rollers,  some 
day." 

Sary  passed  her  hand  over  the  lustra  design 
on  the  shade  and  Mrs.  Brewster  turned  to  leave 
the  room.  Before  she  closed  the  door,  she  said: 
"I'm  going  to  start  dinner,  Sary.  When  you  are 
ready  you  can  join  me  in  the  kitchen." 

The  moment  the  mistress  was  gone,  Sary  ran 
to  make  sure  the  door  was  securely  closed.  Then 
she  turned  to  inspect  the  belongings  of  the  room. 

"Huh!  the  press  ain't  so  much — plain  deal 
painted  brown." 

The  press  was  passed  by  the  scornful  occupant 
of  the  room,  and  the  bed  next  came  under  her 
appraising  eye. 

"Th*  bed's  soft  wood,  too,  but  it  feels  com- 
fertible." 

Sary  sat  on  the  bed  and  bounced  up  and  down 
to  test  the  springs  and  mattress  before  she  pulled 
back  the  covers  to  examine  the  quality  of  filling 
in  the  ticking. 


48  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Laws!  It  hain't  corn-husks,  a-tall!  It's  soft 
as  down!" 

Inborn  curiosity  compelled  her  to  take  a  hair- 
pin and  rip  open  a  bit  of  the  seam.  To  hei 
amazement  she  pulled  out  a  tangle  of  long  whitish 
hair. 

"Of  all  things !  And  this  is  what  I  hev  to  sleep 
on!"  ejaculated  the  insulted  maid.  "Wall,  we'll 
see  about  that!" 

The  sheets  and  newly  patched  quilt  were  desig- 
nated as  "ornery"  but  the  printed  spread,  pat- 
terned to  imitate  blue  torchon  lace,  drew  a  mur- 
mur of  admiration  from  the  woman. 

Sary  quickly  changed  her  robe  of  mourning  to 
a  calico  house-dress  and  went  out,  determined  to 
speak  her  mind  about  that  awful  mattress !  She 
never  thought  such  a  rich  man's  house  would 
have  so  common  a  thing  as  "combin's" — even  if  it 
was  in  the  "help's"  tick ! 

But  the  wonderful  odor  of  boiling  cabbage 
made  her  forget  her  complaint  for  the  time  being. 
She  went  to  the  stove  and  lifted  a  lid  from  the 
large  kettle.  She  sniffed  audibly. 

"Um!  Ah  loves  cabbige  soup,  Miss  Brew- 
ster!" 

"Do  you,   Sary — so  does  Mr.   Brewster.     If 


"SERVANT  PROBLEM"  SOLVED      49 

you  will  watch  the  meat  frying,  I  will  blow  the 
horn  to  call  the  men  to  dinner." 

Mrs.  Brewster  waited  until  Sary  began  thick- 
ening the  gravy,  then  she  took  the  horn  and  stood 
upon  the  door-step,  blowing  it  several  times.  It 
was  then  hung  back  of  the  kitchen  door  again. 

"Polly!  Come  now,  dear,  and  wash  up  for 
dinner,"  called  Mrs.  Brewster,  standing  in  the 
doorway  that  led  to  the  family  living-room. 

Presently,  the  family,  augmented  by  Sary,  sat 
down  in  the  kitchen  for  dinner.  Jeb,  the  hired 
man,  had  followed  in  after  his  master,  and  had 
been  introduced  to  the  new  help ;  he  now  watched 
her  capable  hands  and  arms  as  she  swung  the 
soup-kettle  from  the  stove. 

"Just  a  moment,  Sary!"  whispered  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster, warningly. 

Sary  looked  around  in  surprise  and  saw  the 
others  with  bowed  heads,  waiting  for  her  to  get 
rid  of  the  pot  and  fold  her  hands.  It  took  her 
but  half  a  second  to  understand  and  follow  the 
leading. 

The  ranchers  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and 
plains  are  most  orthodox  church  folk.  They 
would  as  soon  steal  or  murder  as  to  miss 
"meetin',"  or  work  on  a  Sunday.  And  most  of 


50  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

them  have  regular  family  prayers  and  long  services 
at  home  whenever  opportunity  offers. 

Sam  Brewster  was  not  one  of  the  latter  kind 
but  the  longer  the  grace  he  said,  the  better  a  man 
he  thought  he  was.  In  every  other  way,  so  liberal 
and  kind,  it  was  not  consistent  for  him  to  act  so 
narrow-minded  regarding  religion. 

Once  the  grace  was  said,  the  host  unfolded  his 
napkin  and  looked  to  Sary  for  the  soup.  The 
soup-pot  had  been  taken  up  the  second  time  and 
was  about  to  be  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  table 
where  every  one  could  serve  themselves  as  they 
wished,  but  Mrs.  Brewster  gave  her  a  look  and 
sign  that  was  incomprehensible.  She  was  con- 
fused for  once  in  her  life. 

"I'll  serve  the  soup  this  noon,  Sary,  and  you 
can  pass  the  plates,"  remarked  Mrs.  Brewster, 
seeing  her  maid  did  not  understand. 

And  now  Sary  beheld  a  new  order  of  things ! 
Soup  that  was  dipped  into  plates  and  passed  until 
each  member  at  table  had  a  dish  before  him. 
Large  white  napkins  that  were  not  tied  about  the 
neck  but  spread  over  the  lap !  How  funny  it 
seemed  that  the  small  red-flowered  squares  Sary 
had  been  accustomed  to  when  company  came  were  i 
nowhere  in  evidence. 

As   the   meal  progressed,   Sary's   wonderment 


"SERVANT  PROBLEM"  SOLVED      51; 

increased;  she  failed  to  hear  familiar  sounds  of 
eating,  nor  saw  the  usual  form  of  plying  knife 
and  fork  together. 

Immediately  after  dinner,  Polly  led  her  mother 
to  John's  room.  "Maw,  I'm  going  to  use  those 
new  shades  I  bought  for  your  Christmas  gift, 
and  put  them  at  the  windows  of  the  girls'  room." 

"Oh,  Polly,  don't  you  think  plain  white  ones 
will  look  nicer?"  quickly  replied  Mrs.  Brewster, 
as  she  beheld  the  pea-green  Holland  decorated 
with  monster  bronze  roses  and  huge  butterflies. 

Polly  felt  disconcerted  for  the  moment  as  she 
realized  that  her  mother's  tone  implied  disap- 
proval of  the  change.  But  she  would  not  admit 
that  possibly  the  white  would  improve  the  bed- 
room. 

"Why,  Maw,  you  know  how  much  I  paid  for 
those  shades  last  Christmas.  The  man  in  Oak 
Creek  said  they  were  the  grandest  ones  in  Den- 
ver!" 

"Maybe  he  thought  so,  Polly,  but  we  must  re- 
member that  his  taste  in  art  has  lacked  cultiva- 
tion. Now  I  prefer  pure  white  shades,  or  cur- 
tains, for  a  bed-room  window,"  said  wise  Mrs. 
Brewster,  leaving  her  daughter  to  wonder  whether 
she  liked  pure  white  for  the  living-room,  also. 

But  Polly  had  enough  human  will   and  stub- 


52  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

bornness  in  her  make-up  to  resist  the  suggestion 
offered  by  her  experienced  mother.  "Well,  I'll 
tell  you  what  we'll  do,  Maw:  I'll  just  put  these 
lovely  shades  up  till  after  the  girls  see  them,  then 
we'll  change  to  white.  I  think  it  will  be  best  to 
keep  these  new  and  clean  for  the  front  room,  but 
I  want  the  city  girls  to  know  we've  got  such  ex- 
pensive things  in  the  house." 

"Polly  dear,  that  is  foolish.  I  have  always 
tried  to  teach  you  otherwise.  What  matters  it, 
whether  you  display  gorgeous  'feathers'  if  the 
thing  be  false?  Simplicity  and  wisdom  are  the 
rarest  adornments  of  a  home." 

"There  you  go  again,  Maw,  lecturing  me  with 
your  wise  old  saws,"  laughed  Polly,  jumping  upon 
the  chair  to  fit  the  shades  in  place. 

Mrs.  Brewster  smiled  but  said  nothing.  She 
knew  how  soon  her  child  would  learn  good  from 
bad,  once  she  came  in  contact  with  strangers. 
And  so  well  had  the  mother  grounded  her 
daughter  that  she  had  no  qualms  about  the  result 
of  any  contacts. 

Mrs.  Brewster  watched  while  Polly  finished  the 
placing  of  the  dreadful  shades,  then  she  looked 
about  at  the  colored  prints  tacked  upon  every 
available  spot  of  rough  plaster-walls.  Her  brow 
puckered  at  the  conglomeration  of  subjects  and 


"SERVANT  PROBLEM"  SOLVED      53 

sizes  of  the  chromos,  but  she  knew  how  carefully 
Polly  had  saved  every  one  of  them  that  had  ar- 
rived with  tea  or  soap,  so  she  passed  no  audible 
judgment. 

"Oh,  Maw !  I  have  another  great  idea !"  cried 
Polly,  jumping  from  the  chair  and  clapping  her 
hands. 

"Yes?" 

"Let's  move  Daddy's  sofa  into  the  bedroom 
and  place  it  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  just  like  the 
pictures  in  the  Farm  Journal  show  us !  Then  we 
won't  have  to  have  the  single  bed  brought  in  from 
the  barn — Anne  can  sleep  on  the  bed-lounge." 

"I  really  think  Anne  Stewart  will  prefer  a  bed, 
Polly,  even  if  it  is  small,"  gasped  Mrs.  Brewster 
hastily. 

"Then  we'll  change  later.  It  won't  take  a 
minute  to  move  the  sofa  in  and  it  will  look  so 
citified  to  the  girls  who  most  likely  have  divans 
or  sofas  in  their  bedrooms  at  home." 

"I  think  they  will  like  the  difference — not  hav- 
ing their  country  bedroom  look  like  the  city  one. 
A  complete  change  always  is  better  than  a  similar 
environment,  especially  if  the  city  rooms  are  more 
artistically  furnished  than  the  result  of  our  ef- 
forts." 

"Now,   Maw,  don't  you  want  me  to  surprise 


54  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

them  with  the  sofa  John  gave  Paw  and  you,  long 
ago?  I'm  sure  they  won't  hurt  it,"  coaxed 
Polly. 

"Oh,  I'm  not  thinking  of  any  damage.  I  was 
wondering  how  Anne  would  like  to  sleep  on  a  fold- 
ing sofa  instead  of  in  a  bed." 

"She  won't  mind;  and  she'll  be  glad  to  see  her 
friends  impressed  by  the  bedroom  furniture," 
quickly  explained  Polly. 

"Well,  then,  call  Sary  to  help  you  shove  it  in, 
while  I  go  and  find  those  braided  mats  we  made 
last  winter,"  said  Mrs.  Brewster  in  a  tone  of  resig- 
nation. 

Polly  needed  no  second  consent,  but  ran  out  to 
call  Sary.  The  sofa  was  soon  wheeled  from  the 
chimney-nook  into  the  bedroom  which  adjoined 
the  living-room  at  the  back.  Once  it  was  placed 
at  the  foot  of  the  heavy  walnut  bed,  Polly  whip- 
ped off  the  cretonne  covering  that  always  hid 
the  hideous  plush-carpet  upholstery. 

As  the  slip-cover  came  off  and  revealed  the  red 
and  green  and  purple  design,  Polly  glanced  at 
Sary  to  see  the  effect  made. 

"Oh,  laws!  Ah  never  see'd  sech  a  sofy! 
Ain't  it  grand?"  breathed  Sary,  lost  in  admira- 
tion. 

"Sary,  it  opens,  too!"   announced  Polly,   con- 


"SERVANT  PROBLEM"  SOLVED      55 

descendingly  pulling  at  the  strap  that  moved  the 
spring  to  turn  the  half  into  a  low  bed. 

"Well,  suhs !  What  next?  Yoh  Paw  must  be 
a  milyonaire,  shore !" 

"No,  Sary;  John  saved  his  money  for  selling 
chickens  and  a  calf,  and  got  this  for  Paw  and 
Maw,  when  he  went  to  high  school  in  Denver. 
Oh,  we  had  an  awful  time  carting  it  from  Oak 
C.eek  to  Pebbly  Pit  through  all  the  snow  and 
weather !"  explained  Polly. 

Mrs.  Brewster  laughed  at  the  remembrance 
but  told  Polly  that  she  hoped  she  would  keep 
the  cover  on  the  sofa. 

"You  don't  mean  me  to  cover  up  the  velvet, 
do  you?"  asked  Polly,  aghast  at  the  suggestion. 

"Perhaps  Anne  will  sleep  better  if  the  flowers 
are  out  of  sight,"  remarked  Mrs.  Brewster,  softly, 
but  with  amused  sarcasm. 

"You-all  mought  better  do  that,  Miss  Police, 
cuz  them  colors  will  git  sun-streaked  in  this  bright 
light,"  added  Sary. 

"I  am  not  worrying  about  the  fade,  Sary,  but 
over  the  fact  that  the  young  teacher  and  her 
friends  will  think  we  prefer  such  crude  articles  of 
furniture,  instead  of  tolerating  them  just  because 
my  dear  children  denied  themselves  to  give  us 
pleasure.  It  is  their  motive  and  delight  that  we 


56  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

all  felt  in  the  gifts,  more  than  the  objects  which 
showed  immature  judgment,"  explained  Mrs. 
Brewster,  slowly  and  thoughtfully. 

Polly  was  silenced  and  she  suddenly  realized 
how  far  she  must  climb  before  she  knew  as  much 
as  her  mother — even  though  she  studied  "Art 
Notes"  in  the  monthly  magazines  that  reached  the 
ranch. 

"I  wonder  if  the  harsh  color  Maw  speaks  of  is 
the  real  cause  of  that  cretonne  cover  always  being 
over  the  sofa?"  wondered  the  girl  to  herself. 
But  she  said  nothing  and  the  sofa  was  left  at  the 
foot  of  the  great  bed. 

Mrs.  Brewster  knew  she  had  said  much,  so 
she  left  the  room  and  beckoned  Sary  to  follow  her 
to  the  kitchen.  Polly  silently  proceeded  with  the 
finishing  touches  to  the  room. 

She  hung  a  painted-framed  mirror  over  the 
wash-stand.  The  glass  was  greenish  in  hue  and 
wavy  in  lines,  but  it  looked  like  a  reflector  and  so 
it  remained  in  position.  An  enameled  basin  and 
earthen  jug  did  duty  for  toilet  purposes.  The 
plain  deal  chairs  were  decorated  with  crocheted 
tidies — one  tied  to  the  back  of  each  chair.  And 
last,  but  not  least,  came  the  treasure  of  the  Brew- 
ster family.  It  had  been  preserved  in  paper  wrap- 


"SERVANT  PROBLEM"  SOLVED      57 

pings  and  lavender  for  many  years,  and  now  and 
then  the  mistress  of  the  ranch-house  removed  it 
and  hung  it  out  to  keep  the  folds  from  turning 
yellow. 

"There  now!  When  they  see  this  knitted  cot- 
ton spread  with  its  raised  roses  and  lilies,  those 
girls  will  know  that  we  can  have  wonderful  things 
here  as  well  as  there." 

So  saying,  Polly  spread  out  the  thick  white 
quilt  until  the  large  double-bed  was  smoothly  cov- 
ered. Then  she  stood  back  and  sighed  with  grati- 
fication at  the  result  of  her  afternoon's  work. 

"There  now !  I'll  just  call  Maw  before  I  close 
up  the  room,"  murmured  Polly,  skipping  away 
to  look  for  Mrs.  Brewster. 

Sary  followed  closely  after  the  mistress,  as 
Polly  led  the  triumphal  march  to  the  guest-cham- 
ber. The  door  was  flung  open  and  the  ladies 
asked  to  admire. 

"Polly,  something  told  me  that  you  would  get 
the  spread  out  of  the  chest,"  declared  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster, patting  her  daughter  gently.  "And  your 
god-mother  would  be  so  pleased  if  she  were  here 
to  see  how  you  honored  her  work.  Some  day, 
these  quaint  old-fashioned  spreads  and  patch-work 
quilts  will  become  quite  the  rage  again,  and  then 


58  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

you  will  feel  proud  to  show  yours.  I  think  Anne 
will  appreciate  the  endless  task  such  a  spread 
represents." 

And  once  more  Polly  felt  that  she  had  not  ex- 
pressed her  interior  decorating  ideals  on  the  same 
high  plane  her  mother  seemed  to  have  reached, 
but  she  would  not  admit  having  made  a  mistake, 
so  the  crocheted  spread  remained,  even  as  the 
green  shades  and  the  gay  sofa  remained,  to  wel- 
come the  city  girls  to  Pebbly  Pit. 


CHAPTER  V 

UNPLEASANT  SURPRISES 

THE  time  set  for  the  meeting  of  the  Maynard 
girls  and  Anne  Stewart  at  the  Denver  Terminal 
Station  came  and  passed  with  no  sign  of  the 
Chicago  travelers.  Then  Mrs.  Stewart  was  seen 
hurrying  down  the  platform  waving  a  yellow  en- 
velope to  attract  her  daughter's  attention. 

Anne  was  patiently  seated  on  the  edge  of  a 
truck  looking  keenly  at  every  one  in  sight,  so  she 
soon  saw  her  mother.  The  Oak  Creek  local,  that 
left  Denver  daily  at  noon,  was  getting  up  enough 
steam  to  enable  it  to  make  a  regular  start. 
Whether  it  would  arrive  was  a  question ! 

Anne  hastily  tore  the  telegram  open  and  read 
it  aloud.  "Missed  train.  Don't  wait  for  us. 
Go  on  and  send  machine  to  meet  us  to-morrow, 
same  train,  at  Oak  Creek.  Explain  to  Brewsters. 
Bob." 

Anne  looked  at  her  mother  and  laughed.  "If 
that  isn't  Bob  all  over!  Guess  her  hair  wasn't 
dressed." 

59 


60  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Do  they  think  the  Brewsters  run  a  limousine, 
or  do  they  mean  a  sewing-machine?"  asked  Mrs. 
Stewart,  guilelessly. 

Anne  laughed  again  at  her  mother's  innocent 
expression,  but  Mrs.  Stewart  added:  "I  told  you 
no  good  would  come  of  transplanting  hot-house 
flowers  to  an  old-fashioned  roundel." 

"I  can  picture  Bob  Maynard  hiking  from  Oak 
Creek  Station  to  Pebbly  Pit — most  likely  she  will 
wear  French  heeled  shoes!"  said  Anne,  and  she 
laughed  so  merrily  that  waiting  passengers  in  the 
dingy  cars  glanced  from  the  tiny  windows  and  felt 
better  for  the  contagious  laughter. 

"Oh,  my  dear!  You  won't  think  of  making 
those  city  girls  start  training  with  such  a  hard 
lesson,  will  you  ?"  cried  Mrs.  Stewart,  who  under- 
stood the  reason  Mr.  Maynard  had  for  this  out- 
ing. 

"Bless  your  dear  heart,  no !  I'll  send  the 
wagon  for  them,  but  I  wondered  what  would 
happen  in  case  they  had  to  walk!" 

"Well,  I'm  thankful  I'm  not  in  Mr.  Maynard's 
shoes  when  those  girls  find  out  what  they  will  have 
to  do  without  all  summer." 

"Nolla  will  be  in  her  glory — "  began  Anne, 
when  the  conductor  hurried  over  to  the  two  wo- 
men. 


UNPLEASANT  SURPRISES          61 

"Going  by  this  train,  ladies?" 

"Good-by,  mother.  I'll  write  all  about  the  re- 
ception," laughed  Anne,  hurriedly  kissing  her 
mother  and  giving  her  a  hug. 

"All  aboard!"  shouted  the  brakeman,  as  the 
tardy  passenger  mounted  the  steep  steps  and 
waved  her  hand  at  Mrs.  Stewart. 

It  was  a  ride  of  about  seventy  miles  and  Anne 
thoroughly  enjoyed  reviewing  every  landmark  as 
she  passed  it  by.  Jeb  stood  waiting  at  the  little 
station  of  Oak  Creek,  his  mouth  and  eyes  wide 
open  as  he  watched  the  train  pull  in — always  an 
exciting  time  for  the  farmhand. 

The  cumbersome  ranch-wagon,  with  its  high 
spring-seat,  was  drawn  up  beside  a  telegraph  pole 
to  which  the  skittish  young  horses  had  been  se- 
curely tied.  Anne  went  over  to  meet  Jeb,  and 
said,  with  a  smile : 

"Were  you  waiting  for  some  ladies  for  the 
Brewsters  ?  I  am  Anne  Stewart,  the  teacher  who 
used  to  be  at  Bear  Forks  school." 

"Ya-as'm!  How-dee!  Hain't  you-all  got 
unny  more  comin'?" 

"Not  to-day.  They  missed  their  train  and  ex- 
pect to  be  here  on  to-morrow's  noon-train.  What 
is  your  name,  may  I  ask?" 

"Jeb,"    laconically    replied   the   man,    looking 


62  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

about  as  if  he  still  missed  a  necessary  item  for  the 
return  trip. 

"Oh!  I  guess  you  want  my  baggage.  It's 
that  small  trunk  over  by  the  box-car,"  explained 
Anne,  and  Jeb  grinned  with  relief. 

As  he  carried  the  trunk  lightly  as  if  it  were  a 
stick,  Anne  remarked:  "It's  too  bad  to  make  you 
take  this  trip  again  to-morrow." 

"Not  so-es  you-all  kin  notice  it!  To-morrer 
is  pay-day  fer  the  miners,  en  Oak  Crick  is  a  lively 
town,  them  times,"  explained  Jeb,  winking  an  eye 
to  show  what  fun  he  expected  to  have  next  day. 

"Then  it's  a  lucky  thing  for  you,  Jeb,  that  my 
friends  missed  the  train  to-day." 

"Jes*  so !"  chuckled  Jeb,  as  he  gathered  up  the 
reins  and  snacked  the  whip  over  his  horses'  heads. 

Conversation  lagged  after  the  start,  for  the 
bumping  and  rumbling  of  the  heavy  wagon  as  it 
went  over  rocks  and  ruts  in  the  rough  trail,  forced 
all  the  breath  from  the  passenger's  lungs. 

The  wagon  drew  up  beside  the  porch  of  the 
ranch-house  and  Anne  found  the  family  waiting 
to  receive  them.  She  jumped  from  her  perch 
and  greeted  Polly,  then  smiled  at  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Brewster  as  the  girl  introduced  her.  Even  Sary 
felt  flattered  at  the  kindly  greeting  accorded  her 
by  this  pretty  school-teacher. 


UNPLEASANT  SURPRISES          631 

"Wh-hy — you  are  all  alone!"  gasped  Polly. 

Then  Anne  explained  about  the  telegram  just 
as  her  train  was  about  to  leave  Denver.  The 
looks  of  blank  surprise  changed  to  relief  as  the 
family  heard  the  cause  of  the  other  two  girls* 
non-appearance.  They  all  entered  the  house  to- 
gether, delighted  with  each  other.  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster  felt  that  she  was  going  to  like  this  girl. 

Anne  was  delighted  with  the  place  and  every- 
thing in  connection  with  it.  Even  the  intense 
coloring  of  the  sofa  or  the  pea-green  shades  failed 
to  disturb  her  peace  and  repose  that  night. 

After  the  supper  dishes  had  been  cleared  away, 
Mrs.  Brewster  led  the  way  to  the  wide  terrace 
that  stretched  from  the  porch  to  the  descent  of 
the  crater.  Here  the  group  watched  the  sunset, 
and  became  better  acquainted.  By  bedtime,  Mrs. 
Brewster  was  of  the  opinion  that  any  man  except- 
ing John,  who  got  Anne  Stewart  for  a  wife  was 
very  fortunate,  indeed !  John  was  still  a  superior 
being. 

The  next  morning,  at  breakfast,  Mr.  Brewster 
said  to  Jeb:  "Ah  have  to  look  after  some  business 
in  Oak  Creek,  to-day,  Jeb,  so  you  need  not  drive 
over  for  the  girls.  Ah  will  stop  at  the  station 
and  look  them  up." 

"Mebbe  you-all'd  better  take  me  to  hist  Lie 


64  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

trunks,  es  Ah  am  young  and  hearty,"  ventured 
Jeb,  anxiously. 

"You!  Why,  Jeb,  Ah  can  turn  you  over  with 
my  small  finger,"  laughed  Mr.  Brewster,  compar- 
ing his  tall  muscular  frame  with  that  of  small  slim 
Jeb's. 

So  Jeb  slouched  away  to  look  after  his  master's 
farm  work  as  well  as  his  own,  and  as  he  worked 
he  grumbled  and  thought  of  the  fun  and  frolics 
the  "fellers"  »n  Oak  Creek  were  having  on  their 
pay-day. 

At  the  Denver  station,  two  girls  dressed  in  the 
latest  modes,  walked  along  the  platform  toward  a 
line  of  railway  coaches. 

"What  dirty-looking  cars.  Can  these  be 
right?"  said  Barbara  Maynard. 

And  the  younger  girl,  Eleanor,  replied:  "I 
suppose  they  burn  soft  coal." 

"Well,  they  shouldn't !  Everything  we  have  on 
will  be  covered  with  soot  before  we  reach  the 
town." 

"That  will  mean  more  business  for  the  dry- 
cleaners  at  Oak  Creek,"  laughed  Eleanor.  Had 
she  known  that  the  place  could  not  boast  of  any 
kind  of  a  cleaning  establishment,  she  would  have 
laughed  louder  and  longer  at  the  novelty. 

"I  suppose  this  Oak  Creek  is  the  shopping  cen- 


65 

ter  for  all  the  smaller  villages  that  are  within  mo- 
toring distance  of  it,"  surmised  Barbara. 

"I  suppose  so,"  agreed  Eleanor,  as  she  watched 
a  man  oil  the  wheels  under  the  engine.  v 

The  man  finished  the  work  and  straightened  up. 
His  face  and  hands  were  black  from  grease  and 
oil  and  soot,  but  he  smiled  a  friendly  smile  at  the 
young  ladies  who  were  obviously  waiting  to  board 
his  train. 

"She's  all  made  up,  leddies,  ef  you-all  wants 
to  git  in." 

"Mercy!  Does  he  have  to  grin  as  if  he  were 
an  old  friend  when  he  announces  the  fact?" 
complained  Barbara,  daintily  picking  her  way  be- 
tween boxes  and  bags  of  freight. 

"He's  a  genuine  western  type,"  laughed 
Eleanor,  following  her  sister  into  the  coach. 

"Goodness  gracious !  Are  we  expected  to  sit 
on  these  old  dusty  plush  seats?"  cried  Barbara, 
whipping  the  upholstery  with  her  tiny  handkerchief 
before  she  seated  herself. 

Again  Eleanor  laughed  but  she  was  not  as 
merry  as  when  she  jumped  from  the  Pullman 
that  morning. 

Quite  different  were  the  sensations  of  the  two 
city  girls,  to  those  of  Anne  Stewart,  as  they  passed 
over  the  same  route  and  saw  the  same  country. 


66  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Perhaps  it  was  the  difference  in  training  more  than 
the  ideals  of  the  three  girls. 

"Nolla,  can  all  the  houses  be  as  horrid  as  those 
we  have  passed  by?"  asked  Barbara,  nodding  at 
a  group  of  log-houses. 

"I  don't  know,  but  they  certainly  are  smaller 
than  the  homes  in  Chicago,  aren't  they?"  rejoined^ 
Eleanor,  gazing  in  open  curiosity  at  the  scenery 
and  buildings  so  different  from  that  of  the  city. 

"Smaller!  Why,  they  are  simply  poverty- 
stricken  in  looks!"  exclaimed  Barbara  in  disgust. 

The  nearer  the  train  came  to  Oak  Creek,  the 
smaller  and  rougher  the  houses  seemed,  until  the 
guard  called  out: 

"Oak  Crick !     Here's  your  station !" 

The  girls  gazed  at  each  other  in  consternation, 
for  the  place  was  little  more  than  a  rough  mining 
settlement,  or  ranch-town. 

The  brakeman  caught  up  the  leather  bags  and 
jumped  from  the  slowing  train.  He  planked  them 
down  regardless  of  contents,  and  ran  off  to  the 
station.  It  was  an  old  discarded  box-car  shoved 
on  a  siding  to  do  duty  as  ticket-office  and  freight 
station. 

The  girls  hurried  out  to  the  car  platform  and 
Barbara  asked:  "Nolla,  why  don't  you  call  the 
porter?" 


UNPLEASANT  SURPRISES          67 

"They  never  had  one  on  this  line  1"  Then  step- 
ping down  side-ways  from  the  high  narrow  steps 
of  the  train,  Eleanor  cried: 

"Gracious!     Do  catch  me  if  I  fall!" 

Barbara  stared  about  as  a  frozen  horror  slowly 
crept  into  her  soul  and  was  expressed  in  her  eyes. 
"Was  this  the  lovely  mountain  resort  for  which 
she  had  planned  such  conquests?" 

Eleanor  spied  the  precious  bags  too  close  to  the 
tracks  to  insure  their  safety,  so  she  rushed  over 
to  save  them  from  disaster — for  who  could  tell 
whether  that  shaky  old  train  would  hold  together 
much  longer ! 

But  the  Local  looked  worse  than  it  really  was. 
It  was  as  reliable  a  set  of  old  cars  as  could  be 
found,  even  if  the  paint  and  polish  had  vanished 
with  age.  Just  as  the  bags  were  recovered,  the 
whistle  tooted,  the  wheels  grated  in  turning,  and 
the  train  that  on  its  return  trip  to  Denver,  might 
have  carried  these  girls  back  to  their  kind  of  civi- 
lization, slowly  pulled  out  of  sight. 

Eleanor  struggled  with  the  two  well-filled  bags 
of  toilet  accessories,  and  deposited  them  before 
her  sister.  "Bet  you  everything  is  broken,  and 
our  house-dresses  ruined  with  perfume!" 

As  Barbara  made  no  reply,  Eleanor  followed 
the  direction  of  her  stare.  A  group  of  dreadful 


68  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

looking  miners  and  a  crowd  of  wild-looking  cow- 
punchers  were  using  seven  expensive  wardrobe 
trunks  for  their  pleasure. 

Evidently  the  men  had  indulged  in  too  many 
tests  of  Oak  Creek  whiskey,  called  "Pizen"  by  the 
natives.  The  cow-boys  were  picturesque  enough 
in  their  wide  sombreros,  woolly  chaps,  gay  shirts, 
and  a  swagger  that  matched  their  trick  of  shooting- 
The  miners  were  swarthy,  bearded  foreigners,  who 
wore  long  boots,  loose  shirts,  and  belts  from  which 
ugly-looking  six-shooters  protruded. 

As  Eleanor  decided  to  go  over  to  the  circle  sur- 
rounding the  trunks,  and  demand  an  explanation 
she  heard  a  hardened  miner  shout :  "It's  my  deal 
next!" 

Then  the  sisters  saw  that  their  largest  trunk  had 
been  turned  over  on  its  side  to  make  a  convenient 
card-table.  The  others  accommodated  the 
players  and  loungers  whose  spurred  heels  beat  a 
tattoo  upon  the  polished  grain-leather  covers. 

"Humph!  At  least  we  can  display  original 
etchings  on  our  trunks  when  we  get  them  back 
home,"  remarked  Eleanor,  with  a  gleam  of  amuse- 
ment at  the  affair. 

"Everything  will  simply  be  ruined!  Just  see 
that  trunk  holding  my  evening-dresses — right  by 
that  horse-trough.  Do  make  those  awful  crea- 


UNPLEASANT  SURPRISES  69 

tures  go  away,  won't  you,  Nolla?"  begged  Bar- 
bara. 

"With  those  nasty  guns  sticking  from  their  belts 
— not  me !  But  I'll  go  to  the  office  and  complain 
to  the  baggage-master." 

So  Eleanor  courageously  turned  her  back  on  the 
fascinating  sight  of  all  those  revolvers,  and  Bar- 
bara followed  closely  at  her  sister's  heels;  both 
of  them  hurried  to  the  old  car  that  displayed 
a  sign  saying  it  was  the  baggage-room.  No 
one  was  there,  so  the  girls  stood  at  the  door, 
whence  the  road  leading  to  the  railway  could  be 
seen. 

"If  only  we  knew  when  the  chauffeur  would 
come !"  sighed  Barbara,  but  now  Eleanor  had  mis- 
givings about  an  automobile. 

Meantime  the  men  had  seen  the  two  strangers 
hovering  about  but  they  were  not  aware  that  the 
trunks  belonged  to  the  new-comers.  When  the 
girls  entered  the  "station"  one  old  rascal  leaned 
over  and  said: 

"Them  are  tenderfeet  an'  we-all  oughter  wel- 
come 'em  in  th'  good  old-fashioned  custom." 

"Sure  thing!"  cried  the  others,  and  they  quickly 
planned. 

Eleanor  decided  it  was  time  to  dispossess  these 
ruffians  from  her  property,  so  she  assumed  an  air 


70  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

of  courage  and  started  for  the  group,  while  Bar- 
bara held  firmly  to  her  sister's  sleeve. 

But  an  unexpected  denouement  halted  the  two 
girls. 

"Ah  say  you  cheated  that  deal!"  howled  a 
miner,  at  the  same  time  he  slapped  his  leather 
gauntlet  across  a  cow-boy's  face. 

Instantly  every  revolver  was  whipped  forth  and 
a  terrible  fight  ensued,  every  man  taking  part  in 
the  general  melee.  The  girls,  trembling  with  fear 
as  shots  and  curses  rang  out  profusely,  clung  to 
each  other  helplessly,  but  failed  to  note  that  the 
guns  were  aimed  skyward. 

"Hey,  boys — what  the  deuce  do  you-all  mean?" 
shouted  a  fine-looking  man  coming  upon  the  scene 
unannounced. 

The  crowd  of  men  looked  sheepish  aricl  hur- 
riedly explained  the  joke,  looking  over  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  two  strangers.  As  their  welcome 
was  considered  a  huge  joke  the  men  laughed 
loudly. 

Mr.  Brewster  (for  it  was  the  rancher)  frowned 
when  he  saw  the  pale  girls  almost  fainting  from 
fear.  Then  he  turned  to  the  ringleader  in  the 
plot: 

"Say,  Bill!     Was  that  pesky  train  from  Den- 


UNPLEASANT  SURPRISES          71 

ver  on  time — or  too  soon,  for  a  change?"  asked 
Mr.  Brewster,  consulting  his  watch. 

"It  war  ten  minits  too  airly,  'cause  Hank  Jans- 
sen,  th'  ingineer,  's  got  a  christenin'  down  to  his 
home  to-night,"  explained  Bill. 

"Then  those  two  girls  are  my  company," 
groaned  the  rancher,  causing  a  scramble  at  his 
words.  The  cow-punchers  whipped  off  their  hats 
to  salute  and  the  miners  shuffled  behind  the  dar- 
ing cow-boys,  the  better  to  hide  their  faces  from 
the  "Boss." 

Mr.  Brewster  hurried  over  to  reassure  the  girls 
that  the  whole  fight  had  been  staged  to  enter- 
tain them.  He  explained  the  cause  of  his  not  be- 
ing on  hand  to  meet  them,  and  waving  his  hand 
for  the  cow-boys,  he  called: 

"Get  busy,  boys!  Shake  those  trunks  into  the 
wagon." 

While  the  men  eagerly  lent  shoulders  and  mus- 
cles to  the  task  expected  of  them,  the  three  prin- 
cipals in  this  group  made  personal  notes  of  each 
Bother,  albeit  not  a  word  was  said. 

"Ah  never  did  see  such  ridiculous  styles  as 
'this!"  thought  Sam  Brewster,  looking  the  girls 
over  from  top  to  toe. 

"This  rough  man  Mr.  Brewster!     Why,  he's 


72  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

a  common  farmer!"  thought  Barbara,  disdain- 
fully. 

"I  bet  Polly's  father's  a  heap  of  fun !"  thought 
Eleanor. 

When  Mr.  Brewster  realized  there  were  seven 
great  trunks  belonging  to  two  girls,  he  groaned 
within  himself,  wondering  what  in  the  world  could 
be  found  to  fill  so  many! 

The  men  were  handed  cigars,  and  as  they 
doffed  their  hats  to  say  "Thank  you-all"  they 
backed  away  to  permit  the  Boss  to  help  the  girls 
up  the  high  wagon-side. 

Barbara  looked  at  the  rough  stained  hands  and 
said  insultingly:  "No,  thank  you !" 

"Here — let  me  jump  up  and  pull  you  in," 
laughed  Eleanor,  uncomfortably,  seeing  that  her 
sister  had  offended  their  host. 

Sam  Brewster  turned  to  give  his  horses  a  pail 
of  water  while  the  two  girls  attempted  to  climb 
up.  But  the  small  steel  foot-rest  was  too  high  to 
be  reached  without  a  boost  from  below,  so  they 
had  to  climb,  hand  over  hand,  up  the  great  wheel 
with  its  spokes  clogged  with  the  heavy  mud  from 
the  trails. 

When  they  were  finally  seated,  both  girls  looked 
at  each  other.  Fresh  natty  traveling  suits  were 
streaked  by  the  mud,  and  their  gloves — soft 


UNPLEASANT  SURPRISES          73 

chamois-skins — could  now  be  thrown  away.  Even 
their  faces  had  been  smeared  with  mud  when  they 
slipped  and  had  to  clutch  at  any  possible  rescue. 
Naturally,  they  were  not  in  too  amiable  a  frame 
of  mind  for  what  awaited  them  at  the  end  of  the 
trip. 

The  high  spring-seat  was  the  only  one,  so  Bar- 
bara had  to  sit  there.  "I  simply  cannot  hold 
on  to  this  sky-scraper!"  complained  she  testily. 

"It's  the  only  one,  Bob,  so  you  will  have  to!" 
replied  Eleanor. 

In  another  moment,  Mr.  Brewster  climbed  up 
easily  and  sat  beside  the  strangers.  He  churked 
to  the  horses  and  drove  away  in  a  manner  that 
threatened  to  hurl  the  city  girls  from  their  earthly 
perch  into  kingdom  come. 

"Oh,  this  is  terrible !"  groaned  Barbara,  at  an 
unusually  hard  bump  of  the  wagon  over  a  rutty 
road. 

"Maybe  we  can  sit  down  on  the  floor  of  the 
wagon  where  the  trunks  are?"  ventured  Eleanor, 
looking  at  Mr.  Brewster. 

"Shore — if  you-all  want  to.  The  senseless 
trunks  make  better  company  than  a  rough  old 
farmer,"  replied  Mr.  Brewster,  without  the  least 
suspicion  of  malice  in  the  words. 

The  exchange  was  made  and  the  girls  felt  pro- 


74  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

tected  by  the  trunks,  so  they  could  take  a  livelier 
interest  in  the  ride.  As  they  left  the  road  lead- 
ing from  Oak  Creek,  the  sight  of  imposing  moun- 
tains towering  in  the  distance  thrilled  them  in 
spite  of  their  determination  to  dislike  everything 
they  saw.  And  the  gorgeous  hues  and  beauty  of 
the  strange  wild-flowers  caused  exclamations  from 
Eleanor,  while  Barbara  gasped  at  the  vast  herds 
of  cattle,  grazing,  as  they  roamed  over  the  plains. 

Finally  Mr.  Brewster  guided  the  horses  away 
from  the  wide  trail,  into  the  Bear  Forks  trail  that 
wound  in  and  out,  now  on  the  brink  of  the  river's 
chasm,  or  again  between  jagged  cliffs.  Anon  the 
awed  girls  gazed  down  into  fearful  depths  as 
the  wagon  skirted  the  dangerous  brink,  or  craned 
their  necks  to  look  at  the  wonderful  vines  and 
foliage  hanging  from  the  tops  of  massive  rocks. 

By  the  time  they  reached  the  ridge  of  foot-hills 
where  the  trail  led  off  to  the  cliffs  at  the  Devil's 
Grave,  both  sisters  were  silenced  by  the  impres- 
sive scenery,  so  that  petty  problems  of  puny 
mortals  faded  into  a  misty  back-ground. 

Suddenly  the  trail  turned  around  a  group  of 
great  rocks  and  the  first  glimpse  of  Rainbow 
Cliffs  could  be  seen.  As  the  wagon  drew  nigh 
the  gorge  running  through  the  cliffs,  Anne  Stewart 
and  Polly  were  found  waiting  for  the  visitors. 


UNPLEASANT  SURPRISES  75 

Anne  introduced  Polly,  and  Eleanor  acknowl- 
edged the  courtesy,  but  Barbara  rudely  failed  to 
notice  it  as  she  was  so  obsessed  with  the  desire 
to  complain  about  the  railroad,  the  natives  of 
Oak  Creek,  the  trails  to  Pebbly  Pit,  and  every- 
thing connected  with  the  coming. 

Polly  felt  dreadfully  shy  with  such  unusual- 
looking  girls.  Not  that  their  hats  had  feathers 
or  fine  flowers,  nor  their  suits  had  any  expensive 
trimmings  on  them,  to  suggest  wealth,  but  the  way 
they  looked  in  their  clothes !  What  made  the  dif- 
ference, she  wondered.  Had  Anne  told  her  the 
actual  cost  of  those  hats  and  suits,  poor  Polly 
would  have  fainted  from  shock. 

Barbara  was  holding  forth  on  her  wrongs.  "I 
can't  see  for  the  life  of  me,  Anne,  why  you 
selected  such  an  outlandish  spot  as  this,  for  us, 
in  which  to  waste  a  precious  summer.  Why,  it  is 
simply  unbearable — nothing  but  mountains  and 
trails  in  sight!  And  no  one  but  just  farmers  to 
associate  with !  Oh,  oh  1" 

The  accent  on  "farmers"  made  Polly  wince  and 
Eleanor  frown,  at  the  speaker.  Anne  hastened  to 
change  the  subject  for  she  feared  Mr.  Brewster 
might  turn  his  horses  and  take  them  all  back  to 
Oak  Creek  station. 

It  was  a  duel  of  dialogue  between  Anne  and 


76  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Barbara  after  that,  each  one  trying  to  keep  up 
a  conversation  they  wished  to  down  the  other  with. 
Thus  the  wagon  reached  the  porch. 

Polly  sprang  out  and  ran  indoors  unnoticed  by 
any  one.  Eleanor  was  deeply  interested  in  gazing 
out  at  the  great  crater  bowl  that  formed  the  pas- 
ture and  farm-lands  of  Pebbly  Pit.  Anne  was 
anxious  to  have  her  charges  make  a  good  impres- 
sion on  Mrs.  Brewster  and  so  she  jumped  out  and 
held  a  hand  to  assist  Barbara. 

The  lady  of  the  house  stood  waiting  to  wel- 
come the  girls,  when  Sary  ran  out  from  the  kitchen, 
hurriedly  drying  her  wet  hands  on  an  apron.  She 
fully  expected  to  shake  hands  with  the  fine  ladies, 
when  her  turn  came  to  be  introduced.  She  stood 
directly  back  of  her  mistress  peering  eagerly  at 
the  new-comers  in  their  simple  straw  hats,  severe 
cloth  suits,  and  shoes,  gloves,  and  veils  of  the 
finest. 

Before  Anne  Stewart  could  open  her  lips  to 
introduce  the  girls,  Barbara  sent  a  scornful  glance 
over  the  group  and  then  at  the  ranch-house,  and 
said:  "What  a  barracks!  It's  nothing  more 
than  a  log  cabin  on  a  gigantic  scale." 

"Oh,  I  think  it  is  great!  Just  like  the  wonder- 
ful cabins  we  read  about  in  the  Adirondacks,  or 
other  large  camp-sites,"  quickly  added  Eleanor. 


UNPLEASANT  SURPRISES          77 

"But  this  is  not  a  camp,  my  poor  little  sister! 
And  we  haven't  the  same  set  either,  as  we  would 
have  had  at  a  fashionable  camp,"  sneered  Barbara. 

"You  needn't  'poor  me,'  Bob !  I'm  just  crazy 
over  the  farm  and — and  everything.  Hurry  up, 
Anne,  and  introduce  me  so  I  can  get  acquainted," 
cried  Eleanor,  nudging  the  teacher  to  remind  her 
of  her  duty. 

Mr.  Brewster  had  driven  the  team  to  a  post  a 
little  farther  up  the  road,  and  was  not  present 
when  the  introductions  took  place.  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster summoned  a  pleasant  smile  for  Barbara,  and 
a  motherly  pat  on  the  shoulder  for  Eleanor. 
Then  Sary  stepped  forward  to  be  introduced,  as  it 
was  customary  for  her  to  be  treated  as  a  member 
of  the  family. 

"Glad  t'  know  you-all !"  simpered  Sary,  bowing 
stiffly  and  offering  her  reddened  hand  to  shake  the 
gloved  ones  of  the  girls. 

Barbara  completely  ignored  the  par-boiled 
digits  and  slightly  lifted  one  eyebrow  at  Sary. 
Eleanor  felt  so  humiliated  at  her  sister's  actions 
that  she  came  forward  to  make  amends  but  Sary 
would  have  none  of  it. 

When  Barbara  gave  her  a  frozen  look,  Sary 
examined  her  hands  for  a  moment,  then  humped 
her  shoulders  and  stamped  back  to  the  kitchen- 


78  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

range  where  she  had  been  boiling  soap-fat  and 
straining  out  the  scum  before  the  arrival  of  the 
city  misses. 

"Anne,  would  your  friends  like  to  refresh  them- 
selves in  the  bedroom?"  asked  Mrs.  Brewster  to 
break  the  embarrassed  silence. 

"Oh,  yes,  of  course!"  replied  Anne,  anxiously 
turning  to  Barbara. 

Eleanor  took  the  initiative  of  going  toward  the 
door.  "I  never  saw  such  a  darling  bungalow!  I 
just  love  everything  spread  out  on  the  ground 
floor.  No  stairs  and  no  elevators — Oh,  how 
nice!" 

"It  is  a  change  from  your  brown-stone  man- 
sions, isn't  it?"  replied  Mrs.  Brewster,  smiling  at 
the  concerned  face. 

"To  me  it  is  the  most  awful  place!  I  don't 
suppose  you  have  baths,  or  electric  light,  or  tele- 
phone service?"  said  Barbara. 

"Now  you  see  here,  Barbara  Maynard! 
You've  got  to  stop  this  whimpering  or  I'll  wire 
Daddy  to  make  you  go  home !  I  just  won't  have 
my  whole  summer  spoiled  by  your  complaints!" 
cried  Eleanor,  angrily,  and  stamping  her  foot  to 
emphasize  her  words. 

"I  hope  you  didn't  expect  me  to  stay  here,  did 
you?"  demanded  Barbara. 


UNPLEASANT  SURPRISES          79 

"I  hope  you  won't — that's  all  I've  got  to  say  I 
Come  on,  Anne,  and  show  me  the  place.  Where's 
Polly  gone?"  said  Eleanor. 

Polly  was  found  in  the  large  living-room,  look- 
ing the  picture  of  disappointment.  Anne  under- 
stood how  she  must  have  felt,  so  she  diverted  the 
attention  of  the  newcomers  to  the  great  yawning 
fire-place  that  could  hold  several  tree-trunks  at  one 
time. 

"And  do  you  know,  Nolla,  every  bit  of  wood  in 
this  house  was  hewn  and  carted  here  by  Mr. 
Brewster?  You  see  the  government  allows 
settlers  just  so  much  timber  with  which  to  con- 
struct a  home  and  barns.  There  is  a  county  saw- 
mill to  saw  and  trim  logs  and  then  the  owner  has 
to  cart  them  himself.  Naturally,  one  hasn't  time 
to  carve  fancy  ideals  in  the  wood  one  uses  for  the 
house.  And  having  it  sent  from  Denver,  or  other 
large  cities  where  labor  is  to  be  had,  is  also  out  of 
the  question.  The  freight  costs,  and  the  long  haul 
from  Oak  Creek  to  the  Pit  presents  difficulties  not 
to  be  overcome.  So  folks  build  homes  as  solid 
and  strong  as  they  can,  and  leave  the  trimmings 
for  a  future  generation."  Anne  explained  all  this 
for  Barbara's  benefit,  and  Mrs.  Brewster  smiled 
her  gratitude  to  the  girl. 

Eleanor  seemed  more  impressed  than  ever  after 


8o  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

she  heard  of  the  time  and  labor  it  must  have 
taken  to  construct  such  a  house  as  the  Brewster 
ranch  boasted;  and  Barbara  was  taken  back,  as 
she  had  not  thought  of  such  things,  but  she  pre-« 
tended  not  to  care. 


BARBARA  COMPLETELY  IGNORED  SARY. 
Polly  of  Pebbly  Pit,  Page  77 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE    HARROWING  DETAILS 

"Now,  girls,  come  and  see  the  guest-room  Polly 
prepared  for  us.  You  know  she  is  going  to  study 
interior  decorating  when  she  grows  up — aren't 
you,  Polly?"  said  Anne,  placing  an  arm  pro- 
tectingly  about  the  girl's  shoulders  and  moving 
towards  the  chamber. 

Polly  brightened  up  at  once,  for  she  remem- 
bered the  sofa  that  Anne  had  praised  as  having 
made  a  fine  bed,  and  then  there  were  the  gorgeous 
bronzed  shades  that  darkened  the  windows  I 

Polly  stood  at  the  head  of  the  sofa  watching 
eagerly  for  the  effect  of  the  decorating  on  the  city 
visitors.  Barbara  stared  at  first  in  utter  unbelief 
that  her  room  could  be  so  barren  of  comfort,  then 
she  turned  and  frowned  darkly  as  the  truth  im- 
pressed her. 

"Why!  There's  nothing  here — only  an  old 
bed,  and  a  painted  set  of  drawers  such  as  our  serv- 
ants would  fling  out  of  the  room!"  Then  she 

81 


82  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

caught  a  twisted  reflection  of  her  face  in  the  green 
mirror.  It  was  too  much ! 

She  threw  herself  upon  the  sofa  and  laughed 
hysterically.  Eleanor  wondered  at  her  sister's  dis- 
cordant mirth  but  when  she  looked  in  the  direction 
Barbara's  eyes  were  turned,  she  saw  the  cause. 

"Verily,  Anne,  'pride  goeth  before  a  fall' — 
Poor  Bob!"  said  Eleanor,  cynically. 

Anne  could  not  hide  a  smile  at  the  words  but 
tried  to  smooth  matters  out  by  going  to  the  win- 
dow and  speaking  of  the  view. 

"I've  had  landscape  enough  for  one  day,  Anne, 
and  could  recover  somewhat,  if  I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity, without  having  a  family  party  about,"  re- 
torted Barbara,  meaningly. 

Instantly,  Mrs.  Brewster  turned  and  beckoned 
Polly  to  follow  her  from  the  room.  The  moment 
the  door  closed  upon  the  hostess  and  her  daughter, 
Barbara  anticipated  her  friend's  reproach. 

"Anne,  where  were  your  brains  when  you 
recommended  this  awful  place  to  father?" 

"I  had  nothing  to  do  with  recommending  it, 
Bob.  Your  father  already  knew  of  it  and  merely 
asked  me  to  write  Polly — my  little  pupil  of  a  few 
years  ago." 

"But  why  didn't  you  tell  me  what  to  expect?" 
demanded  the  angry  girl. 


THE  HARROWING  DETAILS        83 

"Simply  because  I  was  asked  not  to  mention  any 
particulars  that  might  prejudice  you ;  and  besides, 
you  never  asked  me  anything!"  retorted  Anne, 
feeling  impatient  with  Barbara. 

"What's  more,  Bob,  I  can't  see  any  justice  in 
making  the  poor  Brewsters  suffer  for  what  your 
own  father  did !  But  I'm  glad  he  sent  us  here — it 
is  great!"  declared  Eleanor. 

"Naturally,  you  find  your  level  in  a  common 
country  home  and  family!"  said  Barbara  in  an  un- 
pleasant voice. 

"Words  never  killed  any  one,  Bob,  so  keep  it 
up  if  it  makes  you  feel  better.  I'm  used  to  your 
complaints,"  laughed  Eleanor. 

"And  allow  me  to  add,  Bob,  that  the  Brewsters 
are  not  common  farmers.  Mrs.  Brewster  had  a 
better  education  and  has  more  sense  than  any 
woman — other  than  my  mother — that  I  know ;  and 
Mr.  Brewster  is  a  fine  man  respected  by  every  one 
that  knows  him.  Even  the  government  admires 
his  intelligence  and  worth,  and  employs  him  in 
cases  where  they  need  expert  agricultural  advice 
and  reports !"  Anne  spoke  with  frankness  and 
warmth. 

"The  government  employs  all  sorts  of  men  in 
its  need,  but  that  doesn't  say  the  man  is  a  gentle- 
man, nor  does  it  make  his  wife  a  lady.  Our 


84  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

mother  is  a  lady  and  goes  in  the  very  best  society 
in  Chicago !"  said  Barbara. 

"Society  does  not  make  the  lady,  but  the  lady 
makes  society.  Mrs.  Brewster  could  form  the 
most  exclusive  set  in  Chicago  if  she  cared  for  that 
sort  of  thing!"  came  from  Anne,  curtly. 

"But  it  would  take  money,  my  dear — a  farmer 
couldn't  afford  an  exclusive  set!"  jeered  Barbara. 

"If  that  is  the  case,  the  Brewsters  could  ride  on 
Chicago  society's  very  crest !  But  they  never  brag 
about  their  money !"  laughed  Anne,  sarcastically. 

Barbara's  breath  was  suddenly  taken  away  by 
this  news  but  she  recovered  enough  to  say  mali- 
ciously :  "Oh,  I  see !  That  is  why  you  take  such 
a  deep  interest  in  John !" 

"Barbara  Maynard!  you — you — if  you  dare 
say  another  word  like  that  to  Anne,  1*11 — I'll  just 
pull  your  hair,  so  there!"  cried  Eleanor,  running 
to  Anne  and  throwing  her  arms  around  her  neck. 

Barbara  felt  ashamed  of  her  words  but  she  was 
too  proud  to  confess  it.  So  she  tried  to  excuse 
herself  by  saying:  "Of  course,  one  can't  be  ex- 
pected to  fall  right  in  with  folks  one  never  heard 
of  before.  Anne  and  you  fancy  a  rural  existence, 
so  you  naturally  defend  everything  that  goes  with 
it.  But  I  shall  return  home  to-morrow  on  the 
very  first  train  1" 


"There  is  only  one  out  a  day,  and  you'll  have 
to  ask  a  favor  of  the  farmer  before  you  can  get 
to  Oak  Creek  station !"  added  Anne,  with  a  bit  of 
triumph  in  her  tone. 

Having  relieved  her  heart  of  some  of  its  bitter- 
ness, Anne  felt  sorry  for  Barbara,  so  she  en- 
deavored to  change  the  current  of  their  thoughts. 
She  went  to  the  window  to  raise  the  shade  as  far  as 
it  would  go,  and  was  struck  with  the  wonderful 
.sunset  sky. 

"Oh,  girls !  Come  here  and  look  at  that 
glory!" 

Eleanor  rushed  over,  followed  by  Barbara  who 
never  wanted  to  miss  anything  good.  All  irrita- 
tion was  forgotten  and  healed  as  they  stood  gaz- 
ing raptly  at  the  beautiful  view.  The  cliffs  looked 
as  if  volcanic  fires  were  again  burning  within  their 
hearts,  and  the  mist  from  the  valley  crept  up  to 
form  an  illusion  of  smoke  rising  from  the  sharply 
outlined  peaks.  A  purple  haze  enveloped  the 
mountains  and  the  dusky-red  streaks  in  the  sky 
"^perfected  the  appearance  of  a  vast  eternal  fire  con- 
suming the  earth. 

The  sight  had  a  salutary  effect  on  the  girls,  and 
when  they  turned  from  the  window,  it  was  with 
the  old  friendship  restored.  But  Barbara  was  of 
a  complaining  nature  and  must  have  something  to 


86  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

find    fault   with.     This   time   it    found   innocent 
objects  to  bear  the  grumbling. 

"Where  are  we  expected  to  sleep?  Both  in  the 
same  bed?" 

"Of  course!  Isn't  it  big  enough?  Why,  I 
never  saw  such  a  wide  bed;  it's  large  enough  to 
hold  a  dozen  of  us,"  said  Eleanor. 

"Where  is  your  room,  Anne?"  Barbara  asked, 
ignoring  her  sister's  remark. 

"I  sleep  here  on  the  sofa,"  admitted  Anne, 
fearing  another  scene. 

"Sofa — impossible !"  exclaimed  Barbara. 

"It  is  a  bed-lounge,  you  know.  It  opens  into 
the  nicest  bed!"  explained  Anne,  taking  hold  of 
the  loop  that  was  partly  hidden  in  the  deep  crease 
formed  by  the  meeting  of  the  seat  and  back. 

"Watch  me!  I  give  a  hard  tug  and  presto! 
the  upper  half  of  the  seat  swings  open  and  turns 
over  like  this.  There  we  have  a  wide  bed  with 
ready-made  mattress  and  all  that  goes  to  form  a 
comfortable  resting  place." 

Anne  demonstrated  her  words  and  the  city  girls 
saw  a  low  bed  opened  before  their  wondering  eyes. 
The  pillows  and  bedding  were  neatly  folded  and 
kept  in  a  long  shallow  drawer  under  the  sofa. 

"How  awful — to  sleep  on  that  1"  cried  Barbara. 


THE  HARROWING  DETAILS        87 

"It  looks  like  great  fun!  May  I  sleep  here, 
Anne?"  said  Eleanor. 

1  "Indeed  you  shall  not!  You  will  sleep  with 
me!"  snapped  Barbara.  Then  turning  to  Anne 
again,  she  added:  "Where  are  the  wardrobes?" 

"Those  curtains  hide  the  shelves  we  will  use. 
You  will  find  nails  driven  into  the  board  against 
the  wall." 

"What!  hang  our  expensive  clothes  on  these 
common  nails! — With  only  a  calico  drapery  to 
protect  them!"  gasped  Barbara. 

"Leave  your  expensive  clothes  in  the  trunks, 
then.  I  am,"  laughed  Eleanor. 

"Nolla,  I  will  need  all  of  this  one  for  myself; 
Anne  and  you  will  have  to  share  the  other  one  be- 
tween you,"  remarked  Barbara. 

"I  thought  you  were  leaving  on  the  early  train 
to-morrow?"  teased  Eleanor,  quickly. 

To  avoid  another  quarrel,  Anne  hastily  said: 
"Oh,  I  forgot  about  the  trunks.  What  shall  I  tell 
Mr.  Brewster?" 

"Tell  him  anything  you  like  about  Nolla's,  but 
leave  mine  where   the   man  can  pick  them  up 
;  readily,  to-morrow,  when  I  leave,"  returned  Bar- 
bara, in  a  nonchalant  manner. 

"How  about  the  price  of  the  ticket  to  Chicago? 


88  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

You  know  we  haven't  more  than  a  dollar  between 
us?"  suggested  Eleanor,  dryly. 

Barbara  had  evidently  forgotten  the  fact,  but 
she  was  equal  to  the  emergency.  "I'll  telegraph 
to  the  bank,  the  first  thing  in  the  morning,  and 
have  them  wire  me  the  money." 

During  this  animated  argument  in  the  guest- 
chamber,  a  family  gathering  formed  on  the  porch 
of  the  house. 

"Mary,  what  shall  we  do  with  those  seven  huge 
trunks?"  asked  Mr.  Brewster,  quizzically  watch- 
ing Polly. 

"Seven!  Why,  Paw!"  exclaimed  Polly,  in- 
stantly picturing  the  wonderful  things  those  trunks 
held.  Creations  such  as  she  had  pored  over  in 
the  "Farm  Journal  Fashion  Notes." 

"I  don't  know,  Sam,  unless  we  leave  them  in 
the  wagon  until  the  girls  decide  what  they  wish 
done  with  them?"  replied  Mrs.  Brewster. 

Sary  overheard  the  conversation  and  now  ran 
out  to  see  whether  there  really  could  be  seven 
trunks  1 

"Laws  me !  Ah  never  see'd  sech  quare-shaped 
trunks — all  bulgy  at  one  side,  and  all  them  brass 
locks!" 

"They  are  wardrobe  trunks,  Sary,"  remarked 
Mrs.  Brewster. 


THE  HARROWING  DETAILS        89 

Sary  deigned  no  reply  to  the  information  but 
vented  a  bit  of  her  ire  against  the  new-comers  by 
shrugging  her  great  shoulders  and  saying:  "Ef 
Ah  w'ar  you-all,  Miss  Brewster,  Ah'd  shore  pitch 
them  trunks  clar  over  th'  line  inta  Wyomin'  state 
whar  th'  Injuns  kin  scramble  fer  th'  fancy 
duds!" 

"Oh,  Sary,  I  smell  the  cherry-dumplings  scorch- 
ing!" cried  Mrs.  Brewster,  suddenly,  knowing  the 
quickest  way  to  rid  herself  of  Sary. 

Anne  Stewart  now  came  out  and  saw  the  group 
looking  at  the  wagon.  "The  girls  won't  bother 
to  unpack  to-night,  Mr.  Brewster,  so  we  may  as 
well  leave  the  trunks  in  the  wagon  and  take  them 
to  the  barn." 

Jeb  was  sent  to  the  barn  with  the  wagon  and 
contents,  and  Mr.  Brewster  retired  to  the  lean-to 
back  of  the  kitchen  where  he  washed  his  face  and 
hands  in  a  tin  basin.  He  had  dried  his  hair  and 
face,  when  Sary  called  to  her  mistress  that  the 
meal  was  ready. 

Polly  and  her  mother  added  the  last  touches  to 
the  table,  when  Mr.  Brewster  came  to  the  door 
saying:  "Well,  Ah'm  ready,  Maw!" 

"Run  and  call  the  girls,  Polly;  I  think  Anne 
went  to  tell  them  about  the  trunks,"  said  Mrs. 
Brewster. 


90  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Unwillingly,  Polly  obeyed  and  rapped  on  the 
door.  "Supper's  waiting." 

While  Polly  was  absent  on  her  errand,  Jeb  came 
Into  the  kitchen,  took  a  home-spun  towel  from  its 
peg  on  the  back  of  the  door,  and  his  hair-brush 
from  a  small  cabinet  in  the  corner.  With  these 
toilet  articles  he  went  out  again  to  the  lean-to 
where  the  crude  oak  bench  held  the  basin  and  soap. 
The  pump  was  nearby,  and  Jeb  filled  the  basin 
quickly  and  proceeded  to  immerse  his  whole 
head. 

Unfortunately,  at  the  moment  the  city  maidens 
reached  the  kitchen  door  leading  from  the  living- 
room,  Jeb  was  guggling  loudly.  Then  he  stood 
up  and  snorted  as  he  shook  his  mane  free  from 
the  streaming  water. 

Eleanor  turned  toward  Anne  with  a  smile  of 
amusement  on  her  face,  but  Barbara  expressed 
her  disgust  with  an  emphatic  "Ugh !" 

Polly  saw  and  heard,  but  failed  to  understand, 
as  she  had  been  gradually  accustomed  to  Jeb  and 
his  uncouth  ways.  But  Mrs.  Brewster  compre- 
hended the  shock  it  must  have  been  to  the  city  girls 
and  tried  to  cover  the  unfortunate  incident. 

"Anne,  will  you  seat  your  friends  at  that  side 
of  the  table?  Polly  and  I  will  sit  on  this  side. 
Mr.  Brewster  always  sits  at  the  head,  you  know, 


THE  HARROWING  DETAILS        91 

and  I  leave  the  other  end  for  Sary  as  it  is  nearest 
the  stove  where  she  can  reach  it  without  walking 
so  far." 

Jeb  came  in  and  immediately  pulled  out  a  chair 
and  sat  down  in  his  accustomed  place,  regardless 
of  the  standing  ladies.  Barbara  looked  on  in 
amazement  but  said  nothing.  She  was  past 
words ! 

As  they  all  sat  down,  Eleanor  happened  to  catch 
her  sister's  eye  and  expression,  and  turned  sud- 
denly to  Anne.  Anne,  too,  had  seen  the  horror 
on  Barbara's  face  as  Jeb  reached  over  the  table 
for  a  spoon  Sary  had  forgotten  to  place  beside 
his  plate. 

Eleanor  raised  the  napkin  to  hide  her  laughing 
face,  but  Mr.  Brewster  construed  the  act  to  be 
one  of  reverence,  and  he  approved  of  such  tend- 
encies in  the  young.  Consequently,  he  hastened  to 
say  grace.  Barbara  sat  stiff-necked  throughout 
the  lengthy  prayer  because  she  felt  so  rebellious 
at  everything  and  with  everything,  that  she 
wouldn't  pay  heed  to  the  usual  courtesy  at  prayer- 
time. 

The  moment  Mr.  Brewster  said  "Amen,"  Sary 
carried  the  large  soup-pot  from  the  stove  and  was 
about  to  ladle  the  soup  into  the  bowls  when 
Barbara  said  icily:  "None  for  me,  thank  you!" 


92  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Jeb  was  tying  his  napkin  about  his  neck,  but  at 
such  a  surprising  refusal  he  gaped  at  the  stranger. 
However,  the  fact  that  his  own  soup-plate  was  now 
placed  before  him  ended  the  speechless  shock. 

He  began  eating  at  once,  and  the  three  boarders 
watched  him  scoop  up  the  liquid  as  if  his  life  de- 
pended upon  finishing  the  work.  The  amount  of 
noise  he  made  while  accomplishing  the  feat  was 
a  revelation  to  the  Maynard  girls  and  mortifying 
to  Mrs.  Brewster. 

Sary  concluded  her  serving  and  sat  down  to  en- 
joy her  own  meal.  She  used  the  blade  of  her 
knife  as  a  shovel  and  the  fork-prongs  as  a  pick. 
When  she  was  not  spearing  or  loading  food  upon 
either,  she  was  using  the  silver  as  an  eloquent 
means  of  expressing  her  conversation — which  was 
voluble. 

The  moment  supper  ended,  Mr.  Brewster  re- 
marked: "The  trunks  are  safe  in  the  barn. 
Whenever  you  need  them  you  can  tell  Jeb,  and  he 
will  see  that  they  are  carried  in  for  you." 

"Thank  you,  but  I  shall  have  them  taken  back 
1  to  Oak  Creek  to-morrow  as  I  have  no  idea  of  re- 
maining to  spoil  my  summer,"  returned  Barbara 
haughtily. 

Mr.  Brewster  made  no  reply  but  excused  him- 
self and  went  out  to  the  wide  steps  of  the  front 


THE  HARROWING  DETAILS        93 

porch  where  he  sat  down  to  watch  the  peaceful 
twilight  as  it  crept  slowly  over  the  mountain  peaks. 

Here,  the  rest  of  the  family  soon  joined  him, 
and  the  wonderful  western  night,  as  the  brilliant 
stars  sparkled  seemingly  so  near  to  earth,  had  its 
soothing  effect  on  the  perturbed  hearts  and  minds 
of  all  present.  When  Mrs.  Brewster  finally  men- 
tioned that  it  was  bed-time  the  individuals  in  the 
group  felt  more  amiably  disposed  towards  each 
other. 

Anne  Stewart  was  awake  bright  and  early  in 
the  morning  and,  finding  the  sisters  sleeping 
soundly,  crept  out  to  enjoy  the  invigorating 
breezes  blowing  down  from  the  mountain-peaks. 

Some  time  later,  Eleanor  sat  up  and  rubbed  her 
eyes,  at  a  loss  to  remember  where  she  was.  After 
a  moment,  however,  she  saw  the  sofa  and  laughed 
merrily. 

"Oh,  won't  you  be  quiet!  What  is  the  matter 
with  you?"  complained  Barbara,  sleepily. 

"Nothing — I  feel  so  alive!  Get  up  and  hear 
the  birds  sing,"  replied  Eleanor,  springing  out  of 
bed  and  running  over  to  the  window. 

"Oh,  Bob!  Look  at  the  dazzling  mountain- 
peaks,  over  there!  I  suppose  these  cool  breezes 
come  straight  from  those  ice-tops,"  exclaimed 
Eleanor. 


94  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"I  may  as  well  get  up  or  you'll  cause  a  riot  of 
noise,"  answered  Barbara,  querulously. 

"Of  course  I  will.  I  slept  so  well  that  I  could 
dance  on  a  trapeze  just  now.  How  did  you 
sleep?" 

"Why — what  does  it  matter  to  you?"  countered 
Barbara  peevishly. 

"Matter?  Why,  that  bed  removes  one  of  the 
obstacles  to  your  remaining  here,"  laughed 
Eleanor,  triumphantly. 

Barbara  «vould  not  admit  that  she  had  never 
slept  better  nor  would  she  prevaricate,  so  she 
merely  said:  "I  am  going  to  Oak  Creek  the  mo- 
ment we  finish  breakfast  and  wire  father's  bank 
for  money." 

"Might  as  well  find  out,  first,  if  you  can  use  the 
team  and  wagon.  Jeb  only  goes  to  town  when 
anything  has  to  be  had  here  or  shipped  away  by 
train.  A  trip  of  twelve  miles  is  not  a  trifle  every 
day  in  the  week,"  remarked  Eleanor. 

"I'll  ride  a  horse  to  Oak  Creek  myself.  I'll 
not  stand  this  awful  place  another  day!"  declared 
Barbara. 

"You  can't  ride  a  horse  without  its  owner's  per- 
mission." 

"Besides,"  added  Eleanor  as  an  afterthought 
occurred  to  her,  "you  only  have  your  new  travel- 


95 

ing  suit  and  the  little  light  summer  frock  here. 
The  trunks  are  going  back  to  Oak  Creek  to-day, 
you  said,  and  your  riding  habit  is  in  one  of  them." 

Barbara  made  no  reply  to  this  statement  and 
Eleanor  drew  on  her  stockings  and  then  sought 
for  her  shoes  which  she  had  playfully  aimed  at 
Anne  Stewart  the  night  previous.  One  was  found 
by  the  bureau  and  the  other  was  seen  under  the 
window.  She  ran  over  to  pick  up  the  one  by  the 
window. 

"Oh,  Bob !      Come  here  quick  I" 

"What  is  it?"  cried  Barbara,  hastily  running 
over  to  join  her  sister. 

"My!  The  sun  has  just  touched  those  snow- 
covered  peaks !  I  never  saw  anything  so  daz- 
zlingly  beautiful!"  sighed  Eleanor,  lost  in  con- 
templation of  the  sight. 

Barbara  also  stood  watching  the  sun-beams 
glancing  over  the  towering  peaks,  and  then  she 
said  apologetically: 

"I  never  said  the  scenery  wasn't  wonderful.  It 
is !  But  one  cannot  thrive  on  mountains,  or  asso- 
ciate with  views." 

"Still,  it  goes  a  long  way  towards  creating  en- 
vironment, while  the  atmosphere  and  friendships 
are  up  to  the  individual,"  retorted  Eleanor. 

"Oh,    well,    you    have    the    knack    of   making. 


96  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

friends  with  any  one,  but  I  am  more  reserved  and 
ideal  in  nature,  so  I  simply  cannot  accommodate 
myself  to  such  people  and  places  as  this !" 

"No,  but  you  can  accommodate  yourself  to 
some  empty-headed  society  youth  who  hangs  over 
your  hotel-piazza  chair  and  tells  foolish  fibs  to 
feed  your  vanity!"  scorned  Eleanor. 

Another  sisterly  scene  might  have  ensued  had 
not  Anne  entered  the  room  at  this  critical  time. 

"Girls,  better  hurry  and  finish  dressing  as  break- 
fast is  almost  ready  to  serve,"  said  she,  after  a 
pleasant  morning  greeting. 

"How  long  have  you  been  up?"  asked  Barbara. 

"Oh,  an  hour  or  more.  I  succeeded  in  work- 
ing out  a  scheme  I  had  to  make  things  pleasanter 
for  every  one,  and  I  want  you  to  hurry  and  ap- 
prove of  it." 


A  LITTLE  SCHEME  THAT  WORKED 

ANNE  lay  with  closed  eyes  for  a  long  time  re- 
volving many  plans  for  the  ultimate  harmony  of 
that  summer,  and  when  she  finally  allowed  her- 
self to  sleep,  she  had  a  scheme  that  she  was  going 
to  try  the  next  day. 

As  she  came  from  her  room  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, she  spied  Polly  sitting  disconsolately  on  the 
porch-steps.  She  went  over  and  sat  down  beside 
her. 

"Polly,  I  cannot  blame  you  for  wishing  we  had 
never  come,  but  now  that  we  are  here,  let  us  see 
if  we  cannot  make  something  out  of  the  tangle  of 
disappointments.  Eleanor  will  love  the  place  at 
once,  as  she  is  so  much  like  you  in  nature,  dear, 
but  Bob  always  grumbles  over  things  at  first.  No 
matter  where  or  what  it  is,  she  feels  that  she  is 
not  showing  her  superiority  if  she  is  not  con- 
demning what  she  comes  in  contact  with.  It  really 
is  a  disease,  Polly,  and  I  have  tried  to  cure  her 

97 


98  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

of  it  this  last  year.  I  am  hoping  for  great  things 
for  her  during  this  season,  but  I  feel  that  I  must 
confide  in  you  to  let  you  know  just  what  the 
trouble  is.  Bob  will  make  a  fine  woman  if  this 
hateful  tendency  is  uprooted  in  time." 

Polly  smiled  wanly,  and  Anne,  wise  young 
teacher,  changed  the  subject  then. 

"What  a  pity  one  has  to  waste  such  glorious 
views  and  delightful  weather  while  sitting  at  break- 
fast in  the  kitchen !" 

"Where  would  you  eat  it?"  laughed  Polly,  look- 
ing with  amusement  at  her  companion. 

"Why,  under  that  lovely  group  of  oaks,  to  be 
sure,"  replied  the  teacher,  pointing  at  the  trees 
that  shaded  the  well-kept  grass  plot  and  flower- 
beds at  the  side  of  the  house. 

"Under  the  trees!" 

"Certainly;  what  do  you  suppose  they  were 
grown  for  if  not  for  our  uplift  and  joy?" 

"Why,  Miss  Stewart,  how  funny  of  you !  Who 
ever  heard  of  having  meals  out-of-doors — except 
at  picnics,"  laughed  Polly. 

"Every  one  who  can  now  prefers  out-of-doors 
to  a  stuffy  room  on  summer  days,"  replied  Anne, 
calmly,  but  watching  the  effect  of  her  words. 

Satisfied  with  Polly's  expression,  she  added: 
"Didn't  you  ever  read  about  the  garden  parties 


A  SCHEME  THAT  WORKED        99 

of  society  people,  and  the  present-day  trend  to  live 
on  wide  porches  and  out-of-doors  at  every  oppor- 
tunity? Your  magazines  ought  to  be  full  of  such 
accounts." 

"Oh,  yes,  in  magazines,  but  I  never  dreamed  it 
was  true.  I've  studied  every  plan  and  picture  I've 
seen  in  the  magazines,  and  I  loved  to  picture  the 
beautiful  places  and  furnishings  they  speak  of." 

Anne  had  heard  from  Polly's  brother  John,  how 
his  sister  studied  every  item  on  decorating  that 
could  be  found  in  papers  or  periodicals.  But 
Anne  did  not  know  that  Polly  really  had  a  latent 
talent  in  this  line  nor  how  ambitious  she  was  to 
express  art  and  beauty  in  the  home. 

"That  is  what  I'd  like  to  try  here.  Have  our 
meals  out  under  those  trees.  It  won't  make  much 
extra  work  as  the  spot  is  very  convenient  to  the 
kitchen  door,  but  we  will  avoid  the  heat  and  steam 
from  the  stove  and  cooking,  and  have  much  more 
room,  too." 

"I  don't  suppose  it  makes  much  difference  where 
we  eat  as  long  as  we  get  it  over  with  as  soon  as 
possible,"  returned  Polly. 

"That's  just  the  trouble  with  most  people, 
They  merely  eat  because  they  feel  they  have  to, 
but  they  never  stop  to  make  of  the  habit  an  oppor- 
tunity to  improve  themselves  and  enjoy  a  social 


ioo          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

meeting  with  each  other.  We  may  as  well  be 
Zulus  and  eat  with  our  fingers.  Maybe  the 
Zulus  would  prove  more  ideal  for  their  home 
teachings  than  we  really  are." 

Polly  laughed  again  at  Anne's  words,  but  the 
latter  added : 

"It's  true,  Polly.  How  many  people  trouble 
themselves  to  eat  politely,  and  act  or  talk  from 
the  highest  motives?  The  Zulus  follow  tradi- 
tional customs.  If  we  did  we  would  follow  the 
refined  court  manners  of  our  English  and  Dutch 
ancestors.  Instead,  we  are  in  such  haste  to  eat 
and  get  back  to  the  business  of  making  money,  that 
we  lose  all  the  pleasure  along  the  way  there." 

Polly  listened  anxiously  and  understood  that 
Anne  was  gently  criticizing  what  she  saw  and 
heard  in  the  kitchen  the  night  before.  Anne 
watched  Polly's  face  and  knew  she  comprehended, 
then  she  continued : 

"If  we  have  breakfast  in  the  open  air  it  will  be 
much  cooler  for  every  one,  and  Sary  need  not  stop 
her  routine  work  on  account  of  our  being  in  her 
way  in  the  kitchen.  If  we  help  and  wait  on  our- 
selves Sary  need  not  be  delayed  by  our  tardiness 
in  appearing  at  table." 

"Miss  Stewart,  I  think  you're  right.     And  one 


A  SCHEME  THAT  WORKED      101 

good  thing  about  eating  out  here  is  that  we  won't 
feel  crowded  together  with  nothing  to  look  at  but 
each  other.  At  least  we  have  the  mountains,  if 
we  make  the  oak-trees  our  new  dining-room." 

Anne  laughed  at  the  manner  of  Polly's  ap- 
proval and  said :  "Yes,  Polly,  the  mountains  are 
great  and  wonderful  and  so  silent,  besides." 

"Let's  go  now  and  ask  Maw  what  she  thinks 
of  the  plan." 

"In  a  moment,  Polly.  You  know  I  am  anxious 
to  help  you  in  every  way,  and  to  teach  you  if  you 
express  yourself  poorly?" 

"Yes;  that's  the  only  good  thing  about  this 
awful  visit,"  admitted  the  girl. 

"Then  allow  me  to  correct  an  error  in  speech. 
If  you  wish  to  go  to  Denver  High  this  fall,  I  want 
you  to  use  refined  expressions." 

Anne  looked  at  her  companion  and  smiled 
kindly,  and  Polly  said:  "Oh,  I'll  be  so  glad  to 
correct  any  mistakes.  Tell  me  what?" 

"Just  now  you  called  your  mother  'Maw.'  And 
I  have  heard  you  call  your  father  'Paw.'  They 
are  western  terms,  but  they  are  not  considered 
correct  or  refined,  elsewhere.  The  name  of 
Father  or  Mother  is  a  term  of  respect  and  loving 
reverence  from  the  children.  I  would  like  to  have 


102          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

you  accustom  yourself  to  the  use  of  these  titles 
for  your  parents  and  see  how  the  very  sound  of  it 
will  cause  you  to  feel  more  affection." 

Polly  weighed  this  news  thoughtfully  but  she 
was  surprised  at  the  information  that  her  cus-' 
tomary  "Maw"  and  "Paw"  were  not  the  most  de-' 
sirable  terms  to  use.     She  knew  that  Anne  Stewart 
knew  better  than  she  what  was  the  proper  manner 
of  speech  and  she  thanked  her  for  her  interest  in 
helping  her. 

"Then  another  thing  I  want  you  to  do,  Polly, 
is  that  you  call  me  'Anne.'  I  am  to  be  with  you 
as  one  of  the  family  all  this  summer,  and  the 
'Miss'  is  too  formal  for  members  in  the  same 
family.  I  want  to  ask  this  favor  of  your  mother 
and  father  too.  If  you  were  to  use  Eleanor's 
and  Barbara's  first  names  for  them  as  I  do,  I 
think  they  would  feel  more  at  home." 

"Oh,  Miss — I  mean  Anne,  I  will  love  to  call 
you  that,  but  I  never  could  have  courage  enough 
to  call  that  proud  girl  by  the  name  of  'Bob' !"  de- 
clared Polly. 

Anne  laughed  and  patted  her  apt  pupil  on  the 
head,  then  she  said,  "Shall  we  go  in  search  of  your 
mother  and  ask  about  the  breakfast  table?" 

Polly  jumped  up  and  led  the  way  to  the  kitchen 
door  where  Sary  was  hard  at  work. 


A  SCHEME  THAT  WORKED      103 

"Sary,  can  you  tell  us  where  my  mother  is?" 
asked  Polly. 

"Your  maw's  just  went  to  th'  buttery  to  skim  the 
milk,"  said  she,  giving  Polly  an  opportunity  to 
compare  the  two  terms. 

As  the  two  girls  went  toward  the  buttery,  Polly 
admitted:  "Anne,  it  does  make  a  difference,  I 
think." 

Anne  nodded  brightly  and  opened  the  creamery- 
door.  Mrs.  Brewster  stood  with  skimmer  in 
hand,  taking  the  rich  cream  from  the  pans  of  milk. 
She  looked  up  with  a  welcoming  smile  as  the  two 
girls  came  in. 

"Mother,  Anne's  been  giving  me  'first  aid'  in 
manners,"  laughed  Polly,  watching  her  mother's 
expression  keenly. 

"In  which  line,  dear;  there  are  several  you  can 
improve  in,"  rejoined  Mrs.  Brewster,  with  a  lov- 
ing little  laugh. 

"Didn't  you  hear  me?  I  have  improved  upon 
your  name." 

"I  noticed  it,  but  I  wanted  to  make  sure  it  was 
intentional  and  not  a  mistake." 

"Tell  me — do  you  like  it?"  asked  Polly,  eagerly. 

"Indeed  I  do,  dear;  I  never  could  abide  that 
name  of  'Maw'  and  'Paw'  that  is  common  with 
the  ranchers." 


io4          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Then  why  didn't  you  tell  me  this  long  ago! 
Oh,  mother!" 

"If  I  corrected  you,  and  the  other  children  at 
school  heard  .you  use  different  terms  from  those 
they  were  accustomed  to,  they  would  think  you 
'proud'  and  'too  good  for  a  rancher.'  I  have 
heard  that  criticism  so  often,  that  I  have  given  up 
trying  to  better  conditions  or  express  my  own  de- 
sires in  anything  that  an  illiterate  and  inexperi- 
enced neighbor  may  find  fault  with.  I  just 
accept  things  as  they  are,  now,  but  hope  for  better 
things  for  my  children." 

This  was  a  new  light  on  her  mother,  and  Polly 
felt  subdued  by  it.  She  wondered  if  her  mother 
would  have  been  any  different  if  she  had  been  in 
Mrs.  Maynard's  place. 

"You  see,"  continued  Mrs.  Brewster,  turning 
to  Anne,  "one  so  gets  to  dread  the  free  speech 
and  narrow-minded  opinions  of  some  ranchers 
that  one  forbears  in  everything,  rather  than  have 
strife  and  ill-will  from  those  one  must  meet  at 
times." 

Anne  nodded.  "But  sometimes  it  is  better  to 
take  the  risk  of  offending  the  whole  community  if 
one  finally  vrins  out." 

Mrs.  Brewster  looked  approvingly  at  the  girl, 
and  Polly  changed  the  conversation  by  saying: 


A  SCHEME  THAT  WORKED      105 

"Mother,  Anne  and  I  have  a  plan  that  will 
surprise  you." 

Mrs.  Brewster  smiled  encouragingly  for  the 
girls  to  speak. 

"It's  just  this:  we  think  it  will  be  lovely  to 
move  the  table  out  under  the  trees.  There  the 
air  and  view  can  be  enjoyed  and  afford  us  ample 
subjects  for  conversation,"  explained  Anne. 

"Anne,  splendid!  After  my  experience  of 
last  night  I  would  hail  any  change.  But  this  is 
really  good.  I  never  thought  of  it  myself,"  re- 
plied Mrs.  Brewster,  with  relief. 

On  their  walk  to  the  kitchen,  they  planned  to 
remove  the  table  and  chairs;  then  Mrs.  Brewster 
added:  "My  husband  breakfasted  an  hour  ago 
but  said  he  would  be  back  when  we  sat  down  for 
coffee.  He  enjoys  a  second  cup  at  his  leisure. 
And  I'm  quite  sure  Sary  gave  Jeb  his  breakfast 
after  I  left  the  kitchen,  so  that  gives  us  a  clear 
start  for  the  first  meal  to-day." 

Sary  was  found  upon  her  knees  before  the 
kitchen  range,  polishing  the  nickel  name-plate  on 
the  oven  door.  A  dish-pan  of  hot  water  and  a 
scrubbing  brush  stood  upon  the  floor  beside  her. 
As  Mrs.  Brewster  came  in,  Sary  glanced  up  im- 
patiently. 

"Ah  de'clar  t'  gobdness!     Ah  wish  you-all'd 


io6  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

eat  that  brekfus  an'  vamoose  outen  my  way.  Ah 
hes  t'  scrub  this  hull  floor  soon  ez  th'  stove's 
shined!" 

"That's  exactly  why  I  came  in,  Sary — to  get 
breakfast  out  of  your  way,"  returned  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster,  sending  a  swift  glance  at  Polly  and  Anne. 

As  Sary's  words  made  way  for  their  work,  all 
fell  to  with  a  vim.  Polly  and  Anne  carried  dishes 
and  chairs  out  of  the  room,  while  Mrs.  Brewster 
whisked  off  the  cloth  and  asked  the  maid  to  help 
her  carry  the  table  out  under  the  trees. 

No  reply  came  from  Sary,  and  the  mistress 
turned  to  see  why  she  did  not  come  to  assist. 
The  ludicrous  expression  on  the  widow's  face,  as 
she  sat  bolt  upright  with  her  blackened  hands 
raised  heavenward  in  silent  protest,  made  Mrs. 
Brewster  laugh. 

"What's  the  matter,  Sary?" 

"Yore  a  clar  case  o'  bein'  locoed!"  gasped  the 
help. 

"Not  at  all,  but  you  want  to  scrub  the  floor, 
don't  you?" 

"Ah  don't  need  th'  furnishin's  taken  out  fer 
that!" 

"But  we  want  to  eat,  you  see,  and  under  the 
trees  we'll  be  quite  out  of  your  way.  Here,  Anne, 


A  SCHEME  THAT  WORKED      107 

help  me  with  the  table,  will  you,  please?"  said 
Mrs.  Brewster,  with  finality. 

The  table  was  firmly  placed  under  the  trees 
and  the  cloth  relaid.  Then  the  willowware  dishes 
and  old  Tuttle  silver  were  arranged  by  Anne, 
while  Polly  watched  eagerly. 

"I  do  believe  those  old  blue  dishes  look  ten 
times  as  nice  out  here  as  in  the  kitchen !"  declared 
Polly,  while  Anne  placed  a  few  wild  flowers  on 
the  center  of  the  table. 

"Merely  the  effect  of  your  mental  testimony, 
Polly.  In  the  kitchen,  with  steam,  working 
Utensils,  and  crowed  sense  of  room,  everything 
takes  on  a  sordid  look  and  feeling.  But  out  in 
God's  sunshine  and  fresh  air,  everything  looks 
and  feels  better.  That  is  why  sun  and  air  are 
the  best  physician  for  any  ill,"  explained  Anne. 

Mrs.  Brewster  heard,  and  watched  Anne  with  a 
bright  smile,  as  the  sentiment  of  the  words  were 
exactly  what  she  ofttimes  thought.  When  the 
three  returned  to  the  kitchen  to  take  the  biscuits 
and  other  breakfast  food  out,  Sary  stood  with 
head  thrown  back  and  body  rocking  back  and 
forth  as  she  laughed  immoderately. 

"Do  tell,  Mis'  Brewster !  You-all  bean't  goin' 
t'  eat  out  thar,  now  be  yuh?" 


io8          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Why,  of  course  I"  retorted  Polly. 

"Why  shouldn't  we  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Brewster. 

Sary  could  not  explain,  so  she  turned  to  the 
stove  while  mumbling  to  herself  the  doubts  she 
had  over  the  sanity  of  the  women-folks  of  this 
queer  family — excepting  herself  of  course ! 

Anne  had  gone  to  the  guest-room  to  call  the 
girls,  and  to  her  relief,  found  them  both  dressed 
and  ready  for  breakfast. 

"It's  a  lovely  morning,"  said  she,  in  greeting 
to  them. 

"Yes,  I've  been  sniffing  the  sweetness  at  the 
open  window,"  replied  Eleanor,  but  Barbara 
stood  unresponsive. 

Anne  noticed  the  simple-looking  house-frocks 
they  wore,  and  felt  relieved  at  the  simplicity  of 
color  and  lines,  although  she  knew  that  the  name- 
tag  inside  of  those  dresses  spoke  silently  of  their 
cost. 

"We're  going  to  breakfast  out  on  the  lawn — 
it  is  perfectly  charming  there,"  explained  Anne, 
leading  the  way  from  the  living-room  by  way  of 
the  front  door  in  order  to  avoid  Sary  and  her 
scrub-pail. 

But  Sary  had  been  anxiously  peeping  from  the 
crack  of  the  kitchen  door,  and  felt  mortally 
offended  when  the  company  went  out  by  the  front 


A  SCHEME  THAT  WORKED      109 

way.  "Was  it  not  enough  that  the  folks  were  too 
far  removed  from  the  kitchen  to  permit  Sary  to 
overhear  what  was  said  at  table,  but  now  they 
have  to  walk  out  at  the  Sunday  door?" 

So  thought  the  widow  as  she  left  her  peep-hole 
back  of  the  door  and  stood  watching  from  the 
open  window  by  the  cupboard. 

Every  one  seemed  in  a  pleasanter  mood  than 
that  of  the  previous  evening,  and  as  breakfast  ad- 
vanced, Eleanor  went  so  far  as  to  ask  her  sister 
to  remain  at  the  ranch  a  few  days,  at  least.  And 
Barbara,  although  she  would  not  admit  it,  knew 
the  bed  was  exceptionally  good  and  the  breakfast 
most  enjoyable,  while  the  air  and  scenery  were 
simply  wonderful ! 

When  Mr.  Brewster  came  along  the  path  lead- 
ing from  the  barn,  he  stood  near  a  lilac  bush  for 
a  few  moments  watching  the  pretty  group  under 
the  trees.  But  he  couldn't  understand  having 
breakfast  outside  the  usual  place — the  kitchen! 

"Is  this  a  picnic?"  asked  he,  at  length,  coming 
forward. 

"Good  morning,  Paw — Father!  Isn't  this 
fun?"  cried  Polly. 

Mrs.  Brewster  and  Anne  exchanged  glances  at 
Polly's  error  and  correction,  but  Sam  Brewster 
failed  to  notice  the  new  term.  He  bowed  to  the 


no          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

three  guests  and  smilingly  took  the  chair  his  wife 
placed  for  him  at  the  table. 

While  Mrs.  Brewster  poured  his  coffee,  she  re- 
marked :  "This  is  Polly's  and  Anne's  idea.  Isn't 
it  sensible — and  much  pleasanter  than  in  the 
stuffy  kitchen?" 

He  nodded  approval  and  Polly  felt  satisfied. 
Then  as  her  father  sipped  his  fragrant  coffee, 
she  said:  "Anne  was  just  saying  that  I  ought  to 
show  them  the  Rainbow  Cliffs  after  breakfast." 

"It's  so  clear  to-day  Ah  wouldn't  be  surprised 
but  what  you-all  will  see  Pagoda  Peak  and  Grizzly 
Slide  from  the  Cliffs,  Polly,"  added  Mr.  Brew- 
ster. 

"If  we  can,  they'll  like  it;  it's  a  wonderful  sight, 
Anne,  with  the  sun  shining  on  the  snow-capped 
crests,"  explained  Polly. 

"And  then  you  can  take  them  over  there  some 
day,  Polly.  A  good  lunch  can  be  packed  into 
Choko's  panniers,  and  with  sure-footed  horses  the 
ride  will  be  most  delightful,"  added  Mrs.  Brew^ 
ster. 

"Maw,  you  can  go,  too.  You  agreed  to  take 
things  easy,  you  know,"  reminded  her  husband. 

"Oh,  Sam!  Riding  over  the  Flat  Top  Moun- 
tains would  be  the  hardest  work  for  me,  these 
days!"  laughed  Mrs.  Brewster. 


A  SCHEME  THAT  WORKED      in 

"Pshaw  now !  You  used  to  ride  better  than  any 
cow-boy  in  these  parts,  and  you  can't  tell  me  those 
days  are  past,"  argued  Mr.  Brewster,  dropping 
the  habit  of  using  western  terms  in  his  eagerness. 

"I've  heard  of  Mrs.  Brewster's  famous  riding,'* 
now  chimed  in  Anne. 

"She  can  ride  better'n  Pa — Father,  or  any 
one  I  ever  saw!"  Polly  maintained. 

Mrs.  Brewster  shook  her  head  in  a  vain  effort 
to  discourage  such  praise,  then  she  turned  to  the 
Maynard  girls,  saying:  "Do  you  understand 
western  horses  ?  They  are  rather  difficult  at  times, 
you  know." 

"We  ride  daily  when  in  Chicago,"  sai^  Barbara, 
boastfully. 

"But  city  horses  are  mere  nags,  Bob.  These 
half-wild  animals  accustomed  to  roaming  the 
plains,  are  something  worth  while,  you  will  find,'* 
laughed  Anne. 

"I'd  advise  your  going  to  the  corral  and  having 
Jeb  try  out  the  horses  for  you,  before  you  under- 
take any  long  jaunt,"  suggested  Mrs.  Brewster. 

"We  can  visit  the  Cliffs  this  morning,  and  try 
riding  this  afternoon,"  added  Polly  eagerly. 

"Then  Bob  and  I  will  have  to  get  our  habits 
from  one  of  the  trunks  in  the  barn,"  said  Eleanor. 

"Bob  and  you  run  along  and  do  that  while 


ii2          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Polly  and  I  make  the  beds  and  clear  away  the 
breakfast,"  ventured  Anne,  looking  at  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster.  Barbara  seemed  as  interested  as  any  one. 

So  Barbara  and  Eleanor  followed  Mr.  Brew- 
ster  to  the  barn  to  point  out  the  trunk  they  wanted 
to  open,  while  Polly  cleared  the  table  and  Mrs. 
Brewster  went  with  Anne  to  make  the  beds.  As 
they  worked  in  the  guest-room,  they  exchanged 
confidences  about  the  two  visitors. 

"It  seems  the  lovely  morning  has  had  a  salutary 
effect  on  Barbara's  feelings  regarding  Pebbly  Pit," 
ventured  Anne. 

"I  hope  so,"  replied  Mrs.  Brewster,  diffidently. 

"You  see,  Eleanor  is  broad-minded — more  like 
her  father,  but  Bob  takes  too  much  after  her 
mother  to  adapt  herself  readily  to  such  a  radical 
change  as  a  ranch,"  continued  Anne,  apologet- 
ically. 

"Eleanor  appears  to  be  a  nice  girl." 

"Bob  will  shortly  be  as  satisfied  as  Nolla,  but 
she  just  can't  let  go  of  herself  and  her  foolish 
training  in  a  minute.  If  we  have  a  few  pleasant 
outings  to  show  her  how  really  wonderful  the 
country  is,  she  will  open  out  in  her  natural  sweet 
self." 

"It  certainly  isn't  a  pleasant  surprise,  to  expect 
a  modern  fashionable  Summer  Resort  and  then 


A  SCHEME  THAT  WORKED      113 

find  a  forgotten  nook  in  the  pit  of  an  extinct 
volcano,"  laughed  Mrs.  Brewster,  humorously. 

"Yes,  Bob  was  terribly  upset  last  night.  I 
fancy  she  was  regretting  those  seven  trunks  filled 
with  expensive  clothes,"  added  Anne,  smiling  at 
the  remembrance. 

"I  can't  but  wonder  that  such  a  sensible  girl 
as  you  seem  to  be,  can  be  so  fond  of  a  girl  so 
different  from  you  in  every  way,"  remarked  Mrs. 
Brewster,  looking  Anne  in  the  eyes. 

Anne  flushed.  "When  you  know  her  as  I  do, 
you  will  see  that  she  really  is  not  snobbish,  but 
only  assumes  it.  As  I  said,  she  is  the  result  of 
silly  training  by  a  society  mother.  I  have  seen 
the  genuine  nature  buried  by  habits  and  I  am  will- 
ing to  help  her  bring  it  out  to  establish  it  per- 
manently. Nolla  will  develop  herself,  if  she  is 
allowed  to  express  herself  without  constant 
ridicule  or  reprimands.  This  summer  ought  to  do 
wonders  for  both  those  girls." 

Mrs.  Brewster  showed  her  approval  by  nodding 
her  head  affirmatively  at  Anne. 

"You  had  ample  time  to  study  the  two  girls 
last  winter  when  they  were  in  Denver,  I  suppose," 
suggested  Mrs.  Brewster. 

"Yes,  I  was  with  them  most  of  the  time,  and 
the  result  of  the  erroneous  influence  over  Bob  was 


ii4          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

always  noticeable  after  a  short  visit  from  Mrs. 
Maynard.  She  only  visited  her  daughters  twice 
in  the  eight  months,  but  it  was  generally  so  un- 
pleasant a  time  for  every  one,  that  we  were  re- 
lieved that  she  had  too  many  social  engagements 
to  come  oftener."  Anne  bent  down  to  tuck  in  the 
sheets  as  she  spoke  so  frankly  concerning  her 
friends'  mother. 

"But  I  must  not  disparage  Mrs.  Maynard  in 
your  eyes — you  may  find  in  her  many  fine  qualities 
that  have  been  hidden  from  me,"  quickly  added 
Anne,  fearing  she  had  given  her  hostess  a  wrong 
idea. 

"Perhaps  they  are  hidden  very  deep." 

Anne  laughed.  "Mr.  Maynard  is  just  splendid. 
He  is  so  human!  He  must  have  found  the  good 
qualities  in  his  wife,  and  she,  doubtless,  permitted 
herself  to  be  misled  by  vain  aspirations  to  reach 
a  social  height  offered  by  her  husband's  success  in 
business." 

"Love  is  blind,  Anne.  When  a  man  fancies 
himself  in  love  with  a  pretty  girl,  he  seldom  seeks 
for  lasting  qualities  or  a  strong  character.  He 
accepts  the  transitory  beauty  as  the  real  thing  and 
wakes  up,  too  late,  to  find  he  entertained  a 
dream." 

"I  think  you  and  I  feel  alike  in  this  problem; 


A  SCHEME  THAT  WORKED      115 

my  friends  laugh  at  my — what  they  call — un- 
reasonable opinions  on  marriage,"  said  Anne, 
eagerly  inviting  a  discussion  with  Mrs.  Brewster. 
"Some  other  day,  Anne.  We  still  have  the  task 
before  us  of  acclimating  the  city  girls,"  laughed 
Mrs.  Brewster,  taking  Anne  by  the  arm  and  lead- 
ing her  from  the  room. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
ACCLIMATING  THE  CITY  GIRLS 

"WAITING  for  me,  girls?"  called  Anne,  joining 
her  friends. 

"We  just  got  back  from  the  barn,"  said 
Eleanor,  showing  the  habits  which  she  had  over 
her  arms. 

"Well,  take  them  to  the  room  and  change  your 
shoes.  We  must  wear  flat-heeled  boots  for  walk- 
ing about  this  place,  you  know,"  returned  Anne, 
noting  that  Eleanor  carried  both  habits — doing 
her  sister's  work  for  her,  as  usual. 

"Good  gracious !  I  forgot  to  unpack  the  walk- 
ing shoes.  Won't  these  Cuban  heels  answer?" 
cried  Barbara,  impatiently. 

"They  might  answer  for  a  twisted  ankle," 
laughed  Anne. 

"Then  we'll  postpone  the  walk  till  to-morrow,M 
said  Barbara,  decisively. 

"Not  me !  I'm  going  to  the  cliffs  if  I  walk  bare- 
footed. In  fact,  I'm  not  so  sure  but  that  will  be 

116 


ACCLIMATING  CITY  GIRLS       117 

the  most  delightful  thing  to  do,"  said  Eleanor, 
sitting  down  to  unbutton  her  high-heeled  shoes. 

"Nolla !  Stop  disgracing  us  so !"  cried  Bar- 
bara, shocked. 

"Well,  I  want  to  see  those  cliffs  at  close  range. 
If  you  start  for  home  to-morrow — or  maybe  this 
afternoon,  if  you  find  the  cliffs  disappointing — 
I  can  at  least  take  back  the  remembrance  of  the 
wonderful  spot,"  pouted  Eleanor. 

To  avoid  the  usual  argument  between  the 
sisters,  Anne  quickly  made  a  suggestion.  "Bob's 
feet  seem  to  be  about  the  same  size  as  mine,  and 
she  can  have  my  tennis  shoes  for  this  walk." 

"And  Polly's  feet  look  about  my  size!  Why 
can't  I  borrow  a  pair  of  her  country  shoes?"  added 
Eleanor,  eagerly. 

"Nolla !  Your  feet  are  very  slim  while  Polly's 
are  broad  as  are  most  country  girls.  You  would 
ruin  your  feet  in  clumsy  shoes,"  exclaimed  Bar- 
bara. 

Polly  looked  appealingly  at  her  mother,  so  she 
came  to  the  rescue.  "I  have  always  been  very 
careful  of  Polly's  feet,  as  I  can  see  no  advantage 
in  ruining  a  child's  feet,  hence  you  will  find  Polly's 
shoes  are  made  by  a  first-class  shoemaker." 

"Do  they  have  such  things  in  Oak  Creek?"  came 
sarcastically  from  Barbara. 


n8          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Do  they  have  them  in  Denver  and  Chicago  ?" 
retorted  Anne. 

"Naturally — in  Chicago.  To  meet  the  need 
for  our  class."  And  Barbara  tossed  her  head  de- 
fiantly. 

"Polly,  run  and  find  those  last  shoes  we  had 
made  on  the  scientific  last  plan,"  came  from  Mrs. 
Brewster. 

Polly  vanished  and  Anne  ran  to  her  room  for 
the  tennis  shoes.  Barbara  walked  away  and  stood 
on  the  terrace  looking  at  the  far-off  peaks. 
Eleanor  and  Mrs.  Brewster  glanced  at  each  other, 
and  finding  a  similar  expression  in  each  other's 
eyes,  both  smiled.  Thereafter  a  better  under- 
standing existed  between  the  two. 

"Staring  up  at  white-topped  mountains  ought 
to  be  good  and  elevating  for  you,  Bob,"  began 
Eleanor,  teasingly,  when  Anne  returned. 

"Here,  Bob,  try  them  on,"  suggested  Anne, 
holding  out  her  brand  new  tennis  shoes. 

Then  Polly  returned  with  a  neat  pair  of  boots 
with  good  extension  soles.  Eleanor  took  them, 
turned  down  the  top  and  looked  at  the  label.  She 
threw  back  her  head  and  laughed  mockingly. 

"What  a  blow  to  Bob's  pride  in  the  Maynard 
feet  1  Here  we  have  to  come  to  Pebbly  Pit  and 


ACCLIMATING  CITY  GIRLS       119 

find  our  pet  label  in  Polly's  shoes.  I'm  sure  the 
Maynards  will  change  cobblers  hereafter!" 

Every  one  laughed  at  Eleanor,  but  Barbara 
occupied  herself  with  trying  on  Anne's  tennis 
shoes.  Eleanor  sat  down  upon  the  grass  and 
soon  had  on  Polly's  common-sense  shoes. 

"They  fit  to  a  dot!"  exclaimed  she,  holding  out 
one  foot  to  verify  her  statement. 

"Well,  then,  if  you  feel  you  can  wear  them  com- 
fortably, do  let's  start  before  some  other  delay 
occurs,"  said  Barbara,  petulantly. 

The  four  young  folks  started  on  the  trail  that 
wound  about  the  cliffs,  and  Mrs.  Brewster  went 
indoors  to  cook  some  old-fashioned  doughnuts 
— a  large  stone  crock  of  which  was  always  kept 
in  the  pantry. 

The  walk  seemed  very  long  to  Barbara,  who 
was  unaccustomed  to  much  walking,  but  the  other 
three  girls  reveled  in  the  exhilarating  air  and 
bright  morning  sunshine.  Reaching  the  first  cliffs, 
Polly  explained  about  the  volcanoes  of  that  section 
of  Colorado  and  showed  the  visitors  many  interest- 
ing formations  of  lava. 

They  were  about  to  continue  to  the  Giant 
Guards,  when  Barbara  complained  of  aching  feet. 
She  declared  it  was  the  rough  trail  and  not  her 


120          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

tender  feet  that  caused  the  pain  and  ache.  So 
the  girls  sat  down  to  rest,  while  Polly  told  of  trips 
to  other  volcanic  craters  and  peaks.  They  were 
about  to  start  on  their  way  again,  when  the 
echoes  of  a  lively  whistle  sounded  over  the  lava 
walls. 

"It's  Jeb  going  to  the  corral  to  find  our  horses 
for  this  afternoon,"  explained  Polly,  leaning  out 
over  a  fragment  of  lava  to  see  who  was  passing 
by. 

But  Jeb  did  not  pass.  He  called  loudly  for  his 
young  mistress.  "Miss  Pol-lee — Ah  got  sumthin 
fer  you-all!" 

"Come  up  here,  Jeb!  We're  resting  on  the 
Giant  Guards!"  shouted  Polly. 

Soon  Jeb  appeared  on  the  edge  of  the  cliffs 
and  held  out  a  huge  paper  bag  that  had  great 
grease-spots  here  and  there  on  its  sides  and  bottom. 

"Yer  Maw  hed  me  bring  these  dunnits  t'  you- 
all,  ez  Ah  come  by.  She  sez  fer  you-all  t'  let  me 
have  anudder  one,  too." 

"Oh,  they  are  still  warm!"  exclaimed  Eleanor, 
as  Polly  handed  her  one  from  the  bag. 

"Shore!  But  that  makes  'em  tas'  better!" 
declared  Jeb,  anxiously  watching  Polly  hand  one 
to  Anne  next,  and  one  to  Barbara,  before  re- 
membering him. 


ACCLIMATING  CITY  GIRLS       121 

"They're  horribly  greasy  things,"  said  Barbara, 
holding  the  doughnut  fastidiously  with  the  tip- 
ends  of  her  fingers. 

"Mebbe  folks'd  call  'em  by  anudder  name  ef  no 
grease  war  used  t'  cook  'em  by.  Ah  likes  'em, 
howsomeever,  grease  an'  all!"  returned  Jeb, 
grinning  with  relief  as  Polly  gave  him  two  large 
ones. 

"Um!  But  they're  good!"  Eleanor  smacked 
her  lips  at  the  first  bite. 

"I  can't  eat  mine — they  look  so  impossible!" 
And  Barbara  raised  her  hand  and  threw  her 
doughnut  over  the  cliff. 

"Oo-ah!"  came  from  Jeb  in  dismay,  but  he 
hurriedly  left  the  girls. 

Polly  was  surprised,  too,  but  she  merely  said : 
"We  never  waste  anything  w"orth  while.  The 
chickens  and  pigs  like  doughnuts — if  we  ever  have 
any  left  for  them." 

Anne  had  to  turn  away  to  hide  a  smile,  and  at 
that  moment  she  saw  Jeb  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff, 
glancing  up  to  see  if  any  one  saw  him  pick  up  the 
discarded  .delicacy  from  the  ground. 

The  incident  over  the  doughnut  silenced  Polly 
as  she  led  the  way  between  the  two  giant  peaks  of 
lava.  They  reared  their  heads  more  than  sixty 
feet  high  and  were  so  oddly  shaped  that  they  de- 


122          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

rived  their  names  of  "Giant  Guards"  from  the 
spears  seemingly  held  out  from  the  shoulders  to 
challenge  passersby. 

The  trail  leading  between  the  Guards  was  not 
more  than  six  feet  wide  but  immediately  after 
passing  them,  one  reached  a  semi-circle  of  cliffs 
standing  about  a  natural  arena.  Opposite  the 
trail  that  opened  on  this  arena,  a  narrow  canyon, 
descended  gradually  away  out  of  sight. 

"These  cliffs  forming  the  rim  of  the  bowl  are 
called  the  'Imps'  Tombstones.'  If  you  examine 
them  closer,  you  will  find  they  have  queer  faces 
and  all  sorts  of  strange  patterns  traced  on.  their 
bodies,"  explained  Polly,  breaking  the  uncomfort- 
able silence. 

"This  bowl — as  Polly  calls  it — is  as  large  as 
Yale  Campus,  isn't  it?"  said  Eleanor,  hoping  to 
establish  conversation. 

"Everything  about  Pebbly  Pit  is  on  a  large 
scale — even  the  hearts  of  the  owners,"  added 
Anne,  patting  Polly  on  the  back. 

"Pardon  me  for  differing,  Anne — not  the  feet 
of  the  owners,"  laughed  Eleanor,  sending  a  teas- 
ing look  at  her  sister. 

"Mother  says  this  bowl  seems  to  have  been  a 
small  crater  belonging  to  the  great  pit  yonder, 
when  the  volcano  was  active  in  the  centuries  long 


ACCLIMATING  CITY  GIRLS       123 

gone  by,"  explained  Polly,  as  the  others  ignored 
Eleanor's  remark. 

"These  Imps  certainly  are  strange  formations! 
Some  with  arms  Hung  high  as  if  in  defense,  others 
crouching  low  as  if  to  launch  an  arrow  at  the 
enemy.  And  see  those — erect  with  proud  mien, 
in  defiance  of  all  others.  They  must  have  been 
unvanquished,"  said  Anne,  interesting  Barbara  in 
spite  of  her  assumed  indifference. 

"I  just  guess  they  weren't  so  cold  and  rusty- 
brown  when  the  old  demon  spit  fire  at  them  from 
the  active  volcano,"  said  Eleanor,  gazing  aloft 
at  the  grotesque  heads  with  facial  forms. 

"Nolia !  I  beg  of  you  to  use  better  English ! 
You  know  how  mother  trembles  at  your  picked- 
up  words  from  brother!"  rebuked  Barbara, 
seemingly  shocked  at  her  sister. 

"What  a  tale  these  Imps  could  tell  us  of  remote 
ages  when  they  were  flung  aside  as  useless  in  the 
evolution  of  things!"  said  Anne,  diverting  a 
possible  argument. 

"I  say,  Anne,  why  wouldn't  this  place  give 
you  'atmosphere'  for  that  story  you  want  to 
write,  some  day?"  exclaimed  Eleanor,  unex- 
pectedly. 

Anne  flushed  and  Polly  looked  at  her  in  sur- 
prise. Barbara  seemed  amazed,  too. 


I24          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Is  this  something  I  never  heard  of?"  asked 
the  latter. 

"Oh,  no ;  I  once  said  to  Nolla  that  I  should  love 
to  be  able  to  write  a  story,  and  she  assured  me  I 
could  do  it.  She  is  only  teasing,  as  usual," 
laughed  Anne,  and  at  the  first  opportunity,  she 
managed  to  give  Eleanor  a  smart  rap  on  the 
shoulder  for  her  breach  of  confidence. 

Leaving  the  Imps  behind,  Polly  took  the  trail 
that  led  to  the  "Devil's  Causeway" — the  ravine 
that  cleft  two  towering  peaks  of  lava.  This  chasm 
descended  abruptly  to  a  depth  of  over*  five  hundred 
feet  and  then  as  abruptly  ascended  to  the  level  of 
the  distant  end  of  the  trail,  where  it  brought  one 
to  the  ridge  that  over-looked  Bear  Forks  Valley. 

"Do  you  want  to  go  through  the  Devil's  Cause- 
way?" asked  Polly. 

"Oh,  by  all  means !"  exclaimed  Anne. 

"I  wish  we  had  thought  of  bringing  the  camera," 
said  Barbara. 

"We  will  some  other  day.  Now  let  us  see  the 
best  views  to  get,"  quickly  replied  Anne,  glad  to 
hear  Barbara  express  herself  favorably. 

"You  people  go  down  into  that  yawning  grave, 
while  I  sit  here  and  plot  out  a  preface  for  Anne's 
book,"  said  exhausted  Eleanor,  selecting  a  bowlder 
where  she  could  sit  and  see  far  and  wide. 


ACCLIMATING  CITY  GIRLS       125 

"I'd  just  as  soon  stay  with  Eleanor  while  you 
two  go  down  and  back  again,"  ventured  Polly. 

"All  right;  Bob  and  I  will  see  what's  to  be  seen 
and  be  back  shortly,"  agreed  Anne,  starting  down 
the  trail. 

The  two  young  girls  sat  high  upon  the  lava 
bowlder  while  Polly  pointed  out  different  familiar 
spots  and  mountain  peaks.  Then  Eleanor  turned 
and  looked  curiously  at  her  companion. 

"Does  your  father  own  all  of  this  great  estate 
free  and  clear?"  asked  she. 

"Free  and  clear!  What  do  you  mean — that 
he  cleared  it  of  timber  and  freed  it  of  sage-brush?" 

Eleanor  laughed  heartily.  "Mercy  no!  I  never 
thought  of  that.  I  meant  a  mortgage,  you  know." 

"I  don't  know  what  a  mortgage  is.  But  father 
never  had  to  clear  the  place  much  as  it  was  always 
rich  free  soil  without  brush." 

Eleanor  glanced  quizzically  at  Polly.  "Humph ! 
My  father  knows  what  a  mortgage  is,  poor  man ! 
Mother  made  him  do  it  to  get  her  a  French  car 
this  spring.  If  your  father  was  my  father  and 
owned  all  this  vast  place  free  and  clear,  my  mother 
would  mortgage  it  in  a  jiffy  if  she  married 
him!" 

"Well,  she  didn't!"  came  decidedly  from  Polly, 
with  a  grateful  sigh  of  relief. 


126          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Eleanor  laughed  in  appreciation.  "Say,  Polly, 
my  father  would  like  you  down  to  the  ground!" 

Polly  made  no  reply  and  Eleanor  looked  about 
her  again.  "Polly,  how  does  it  feel  to  own  such 
wonderful  things  as  you  just  showed  us  ?  And  such 
a  great  farm  as  you  have?" 

"I  never  thought  of  it.  In  fact,  I  don't  believe 
any  of  us  remember  who  owns  them.  Everybody 
is  welcome  to  help  themselves  to  these  cliffs  and 
the  jewels  at  Rainbow  Cliffs." 

"How  much  do  you  s'pose  your  father  is 
worth?"  now  asked  Eleanor,  showing  a  trace  of 
Mrs.  Maynard's  teachings. 

"I  never  asked  him.  We  never  thought  of  his 
being  worth  more  than  we  might  need." 

"Oh,  but  you  never  can  need  all  those  cattle, 
and  the  vast  farm,  or  the  wheat  and  other  prod- 
ucts he  ships  and  they  bring  in  money,"  persisted 
the  daughter  of  a  banker. 

"He  sends  it  off  'cause  we  can't  let  it  spoil,  you 
know,"  replied  the  thrifty  rancher's  daughter. 
"But  I  don't  know  how  much  money  he  may  be 
worth.  Maybe  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  for 
the  land,  and  maybe  another  hundred  thousand  in 
cattle.  I've  heard  John  and  Father  talk  over  an 
offer  of  half  a  million  dollars  for  part  interest  in 


ACCLIMATING  CITY  GIRLS       127 

the  Rainbow  Cliffs,  but  Dad  wouldn't  spoil  'em." 

"What!  What  did  you  say  he  refused?" 
shrilled  Eleanor. 

Polly  turned  suddenly  to  look  at'her  companion. 
She  was  surprised  at  the  expression  on  Eleanor's 
face. 

"I  never  lie.  Why  should  I?"  she  cried  in  de- 
fense. 

"No,  but  you  must  have  been  joking!" 

"I  wasn't!  Why  should  I  joke?"  retorted 
Polly. 

"But  goodness  me,  girl !  If  your  father  was  as 
rich  as  all  that,  why  would  you  care  about  wast- 
ing a  doughnut?  And  look  at  your  mother  mak- 
ing her  own  butter  and  helping  in  housework! 
Anne  says  she  even  spins  her  own  linen  towels  and 
knits  your  stockings.  What  under  the  sun  would 
she  work  like  that  for,  if  she  could  afford  to  live 
better'n  we  dc?"  cried  Eleanor,  incredulously. 

"My  mother  doesn't  have  to  do  a  thing,  unless 
she  wants  to.  She  just  likes  to  do  it  for  us,  and 
it  sure  does  make  a  home !"  declared  Polly,  fondly, 
as  she  looked  across  the  Pit  to  her  home. 

"Ye-es — I  guess  it  does;  but  then  some  mothers 
can't  sew  and  spin  and  cook,  you  see,  so  where 
would  the  home  be  if  we  didn't  have  servants  and 


1 23          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

folks  to  do  for  us?"  sighed  Eleanor,  comparing 
her  own  homelife  to  Polly's — to  the  latter's  ad- 
vantage. 

"What  does  your  mother  do,  Nolla?"  asked 
Polly,  sympathetically. 

"Oh,  she  is  a  society  leader,  you  know.  She 
goes  calling,  and  has  bridge  parties  every  week. 
Then  she  has  her  teas  and  dinners,  and  the  balls, 
or  theater  parties,  in  season.  Other  times  she  has 
her  clubs  and  Welfare  Work — she  is  President 
of  a  Charity  Work,  you  see,  and  has  to  address 
her  members  every  once  in  a  while,"  said  Eleanor, 
warming  up  to  her  description  as  she  visualized  her 
mother's  important  life-interests. 

"Anne  told  us  about  how  sick  you  were  two 
years  ago,  and  how  you  had  to  leave  home  to  live 
in  Denver  all  last  winter,"  said  Polly,  a  com- 
passionate note  creeping  into  her  voice  as  she 
pitied  the  girl  at  her  side. 

'"Well,  I  got  better,  didn't  I?"  came  from 
Eleanor,  shortly;  then  she  said  tenderly:  "Anne 
and  her  mother  were  great!" 

"Yes,  but  I  was  thinking  if  it  was  me — so  sick 
that  the  doctors  feared  I  would  never  be  well 
again — do  you  s'pose  my  mother  would  have 
stayed  at  home  when  I  was  with  strangers  in  Den- 
ver? I  reckon  not!  All  the  butter,  or  balls,  or 


ACCLIMATING  CITY  GIRLS       129 

charities  in  the  world  could  not  have  kept  her 
from  my  side  every  minute  I  was  sick!" 

Such  emphasis  found  Eleanor  lacking  with  a 
reply  but  her  eyes  filled  up  at  the  thought  of  a  love 
that  would  sacrifice  the  world  for  a  beloved  child. 
Would  her  mother  do  that  if  she  realized  any 
danger  to  her  children?  Ah,  that  is  what  hurt! 

"Polly,  my  father  would  do  as  much  for  me, 
too!"  said  Eleanor,  exultantly,  the  moment  she 
remembered  one  parent  who  loved  her  unre- 
servedly. 

"So  would  mine." 

"Then  why  should  he  object  to  your  having  a 
good  education  in  Denver?  And  look  at  the  way 
he  dresses  you,  Polly !  I  don't  want  you  to  think 
I  am  poking  fun  at  you,  'cause  I'm  not,  but  the 
way  you  slick  back  your  hair  into  two  long  braids 
and  the  baggy  skirts  you  wear  are  simply  out- 
landish. If  I  had  that  wonderful  curly  chestnut 
hair  I'd  make  so  much  of  it  that  I'd  look  positively 
beautiful." 

Polly  felt  hurt,  not  only  because  of  her  love  of 
the  beautiful  in  everything,  but  also  because  she 
hoped  Eleanor  would  turn  out  to  be  a  staunch 
friend.  Now,  of  course,  she  wouldn't  make 
friends  with  such  an  old-fashioned  country  girl ! 

"It's  much  easier  to  keep  the  hair  out  of  my 


130          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

face  when  it's  slicked  back.  Besides,  there  isn't 
any  dress-maker  in  Oak  Creek  better'n  my  mother. 
But  she  doesn't  have  much  time  to  trim  dresses. 
When  I  go  to  Denver,  I'll  have  as  fine  a  ward- 
robe as  yours." 

"If  your  father  has  any  money  why  doesn't  he 
buy  an  automobile  instead  of  using  that  awful 
ranch-wagon  ?  And  why  doesn't  he  hire  servants 
to  do  the  work  your  mother  now  does?  She 
could  sew  on  your  clothes,  if  she  had  more  time." 

"Mother  never  liked  to  have  me  think  much  of 
dress  and  I  have  always  been  so  busy  with  my 
pets  and  trips  on  the  mountains,  that  I  generally 
lived  in  my  riding  clothes  during  vacations.  But 
my  shoes  are  as  good  as  yours — you  said  so. 
And  my  teeth  and  hands  and  feet  are  as  carefully 
taken  care  of  as  yours  or  any  one's !" 

Eleanor  admitted  that  this  was  so,  but  Polly 
still  had  to  prove  that  her  father  had  money.  And 
she  insisted  upon  the  fact  being  proven. 

"If  you  don't  believe  me,  you  can  write  to  my 
brother  John,"  declared  Polly.  "His  best  college 
friend  visited  here  last  vacation-time  and  simply 
went  crazy  over  Rainbow  Cliffs.  He  went  so  far 
as  to  have  an  expert  mineralogist  come  over  here 
to  examine  the  stones.  This  man  was  out  west 
on  business  for  Tom  Latimer's  father,  and  Tom 


ACCLIMATING  CITY  GIRLS       131] 

said  it  would  cost  next  to  nothing  to  send  for  him. 
The  man  said  the  jewels  would  create  the  greatest 
wild-cat  speculations  in  New  York  if  they  were 
placed  on  the  market.  Those  were  his  very 
words!" 

"Torn  Latimer!  Do  you  know  him?"  gasped 
Eleanor. 

"He's  John's  chum.  He  visited  here  for 
several  weeks  and  we  had  the  loveliest  times !  I 
liked  him  a  lot." 

"I  should  think  you  would !  But,  Polly,  Tom 
is  several  years  older  than  you.  In  fact  he  is  older 
than  Bob,  as  she  found  out  when  she  tried  to 
capture  him  for  herself.  His  father  is  one  of  the 
richest  financiers  in  New  York." 

"I  didn't  think  of  his  age,  although  now  you 
speak  of  it,  I  suppose  he  must  be  about  John's 
age.  But  he  acted  like  a  big  boy,  so  we  had  fine 
times,"  explained  Polly,  entirely  innocent  of  Elea- 
nor's hints  regarding  the  young  man. 

Eleanor  threw  back  her  head  and  laughed 
heartily.  "Just  wait  until  I  tell  Bob  this.  Oh, 
how  she  will  envy  you  your  chance.  Why,  she 
did  everything  on  earth  but  fling  herself  at  his 
head  when  mother  told  her  he  was  the  richest 
catch  of  the  season." 

"Why,  he  told  me  he  was  never  going  to  marry 


132          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

until  he  found  another  girl  like  Anne  Stewart  I 
He  thinks  she  is  splendid.  I  asked  him  why  he 
didn't  marry  her,  and  he  teased  me  by  saying  I 
wanted  to  know  too  much.  But  he  did  tell  me  that 
Anne  loved  some  one  else  who  was  a  thousand 
times  better  than  he,  so  he  had  no  chance  with 
her." 

Eleanor  glanced  sharply  at  Polly  to  see  whether 
she  was  innocent  of  guile  or  whether  she  was  try- 
ing to  hide  her  real  meaning.  She  saw  that  her 
young  companion  had  really  no  thought  of  love 
for  herself  or  for  her  brother  John.  So  Eleanor 
never  hinted  that  she  had  a  suspicion  of  the  truth 
about  Anne  and  John. 

"Do  you  think  Anne  liked  Tom  Latimer?" 
she  asked. 

"Oh,  yes !  But  she  likes  him  because  he  is  such 
a  friend  of  my  brother's  and  her  brother's.  You 
see,  Anne's  brother  Paul  is  at  college  with  John 
and  Tom,"  replied  Polly. 

"Yes,  I  know.  My  brother  is  one  of  their 
class-mates,  too.  But  I  never  met  your  brother 
or  Paul.  Mother  said  I  was  too  young  to  appear 
in  the  drawing-room  when  Pete  gave  his  party  to 
'his  class-mates  this  spring." 

"Oh,  I've  heard  about  a  Tete'  who  is  so  clever 


ACCLIMATING  CITY  GIRLS       133 

in  his  engineering  class.  Is  that  your  brother?" 
eagerly  asked  Polly. 

"Yes,  and  we're  proud  of  him!  At  least  Dad 
and  I  are.  I  don't  suppose  mother  will  feel  proud 
of  him  until  he  marries  a  rich  society  girl.  And 
Bob  never  bothers  about  what  he  does." 

Now  all  this  was  new  and  strange  gossip  to 
Polly  and  she  was  willing  to  hear  more  along  the 
same  lines,  but  Anne  and  Barbara  returned  from 
the  ravine,  and  the  former  called  to  them: 

"Have  you  been  wondering  what  kept  us  so 
long,  girls?" 

"Never  thought  of  you.  We've  been  getting 
acquainted,"  replied  Eleanor,  with  a  smile  at 
Polly. 

"That's  good.  Now  let's  go  and  visit  Rainbow 
Cliffs,"  added  Anne. 

"Lead  off,  Polly  and  I  will  follow,"  said  Elea- 
nor, linking  her  arm  through  Polly's. 

Polly  was  not  only  surprised  but  pleased  at 
Eleanor's  evident  act  of  friendship.  She  had 
never  had  a  girl-friend  of  her  own  age  to  confide 
in,  and  she  had  felt  very  diffident  with  these  city 
girls  after  their  arrival.  But  the  short  talk  while 
sitting  on  the  bowlder  not  only  established  a  firmer 
foundation  for  good  comradeship  between  the 


134          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

two  girls,  but  it  gave  each  a  better  appreciation  of 
the  other's  character. 

After  a  circuitous  walk,  the  four  girls  reached 
the  cliffs  where  the  jeweled  stones  shone  resplend- 
ent from  the  side-walls  and  ground  where  tons  of 
them  were  piled  up  in  abandoned  confusion. 

"No  wonder  they  are  named  Rainbow  Cliffs! 
I  never  saw  such  a  dazzling  sight  as  these  green, 
blue,  red,  and  other  colored  stones!"  cried  Anne. 

"They  are  so  beautiful  that  it  seems  as  if  they 
are  real  jewels!"  sighed  Barbara,  gazing  raptly 
at  the  seemingly  precious  stones. 

"Polly  says  a  man  offered  a  fabulous  price  for 
a  small  interest  in  this  spot,"  remarked  Eleanor, 
taking  up  a  handful  of  the  pebbles  and  letting 
them  run  between  her  fingers  in  a  speculative 
manner,  while  she  glanced  covertly  at  her  sister. 

"Not  really!"  exclaimed  Barbara,  looking  at 
Polly. 

"Yes,  but  please  let's  not  talk  of  it.  Father  does 
not  like  any  of  us  to  speak  of  it,  as  he  fears  John 
and  I  will  have  our  heads  turned,"  returned  Polly, 
sending  a  reproachful  look  at  Eleanor. 

But  Eleanor  smiled  with  satisfaction,  for  she 
knew  she  had  boosted  Polly's  value  a  thousand 
fold  in  Barbara's  estimation. 

"Well,  I'd  sell  out  if  it  was  me!    My,  but  the 


ACCLIMATING  CITY  GIRLS 

good  times  I  could  have  on  the  money  this  would 
bring!"  sighed  Barbara,  glancing  up  at  the  masses 
of  colored  stones  towering  above  her  in  the  sun- 
shine. 

"My  brother  John  says  he  is  going  to  work 
these  cliffs  as  soon  as  he  finishes  his  college  course 
of  engineering,"  said  Polly. 

"And  Tom  Latimer  is  going  to  be  his  partner !" 
added  Eleanor,  watching  her  sister  closely. 

"Nolla,  I  didn't  tell  you  that,  at  all!"  cried 
Polly. 

"Tom  Latimer!  Does  she  know  him?"  asked 
Barbara  of  Anne. 

"I  don't  know,  Bob;  Paul  and  he  are  great 
friends  of  John  Brewster's,  you  know." 

Polly  would  not  deign  to  look  at  Eleanor  again, 
and  took  the  homeward  trail  without  another  word 
as  she  felt  pained  at  her  newly  found  friend's  mis- 
statement  of  facts.  But  Eleanor  had  done  it  all 
for  friendship's  sake.  She  knew  what  a  radical 
change  all  this  information  would  make  in  Bar- 
bara's estimation  of  the  Brewsters  and  the  ranch, 
so  she  said  more  than  she  herself  really  believed 
true. 

At  that  moment  the  dinner-horn  sounded  and 
the  girls  started  for  the  house,  without  making 
further  comment  on  the  cliffs. 


CHAPTER  IX 

SEVERAL  MISUNDERSTANDINGS 

As  the  four  girls  came  around  the  corner  of  the 
ranch-house  Sary  banged  a  plate  of  hot  biscuits 
upon  the  table.  Some  of  the  biscuits  bounced  off 
and  rolled  across  the  snowy  cloth,  so  Sary  made  a 
swift  lunge  to  catch  them  before  they  fell  upon  the 
ground. 

Without  hesitation,  she  replaced  the  biscuits  on 
the  plate  and  glared  at  the  boarders  as  she 
mumbled  to  herself:  "Sech  high-filutin'  a'rs  Ah 
never  did  see  afore!" 

The  strangers  looked  at  each  other,  wonder- 
ing what  the  maid's  perturbed  manner  portended. 
But  Sary  flounced  back  to  the  kitchen  sending  an 
angry  glance  over  her  shoulder  before  she  entered 
that  sacred  precinct.  She  quickly  returned  with 
a  glass  dish  of  pear  preserves  and  another  dish  of 
home-pickled  peaches.  These  were  so  placed  as 
to  flank  the  biscuits  when  Sary  spied  an  inquisitive 
hornet  about  to  settle  upon  the  preserves. 

136 


SEVERAL  MISUNDERSTANDINGS  137 

"Git  out  o'  that!"  shrilled  she,  whacking  at 
the  insect  with  her  kitchen  towel. 

The  hornet  resented  the  vicious  slap  and  flew 
straight  for  Sary's  red  head.  She  unceremoniously 
ducked  and  ran.  But  the  insect  buzzed  after  her 
with  evil  intent,  so  Sary  ran  for  her  sanctuary, 
slamming  the  screen  door  safely  between  herself 
and  her  pursuer.  The  audience  watching  beside 
the  table  laughed  merrily  at  the  rout. 

At  the  sudden  entrance  of  the  maid  into  the 
kitchen,  Mrs.  Brewster  asked,  without  looking  up : 
uDid  you  place  the  butter  and  milk  on  the  table, 
Sary?" 

"It  are !"  from  Sary,  curtly. 

Mrs.  Brewster  looked  up  in  surprise.  She  saw 
Sary  on  the  safe  side  of  the  screen-door  glaring 
at  the  hornet,  which  was  crawling  slowly  towards 
the  crack  in  the  opening,  while  buzzing  threaten- 
ingly, now  and  then. 

"There's  a  hornet,  Sary — better  drive  it  away 
before  you  venture  out  again." 

"Ah  are." 

"Take  the  kettle  and  dash  some  boiling  water 
on  it.  It  sounds  angry  enough  to  sting." 

"It  am,"  flared  Sary,  as  if  her  anger,  too,  was 
vicious  enough  to  do  as  the  hornet  would.  But 
she  turned  to  get  the  hot  water  and  when  she 


138          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

returned  to  deluge  the  plague,  lo !  it  was  there  no 
more. 

"Sary,  what's  wrong  with  you  since  this  morn- 
ing? You've  not  been  civil  in  any  way,"  said 
Mrs.  Brewster,  impatiently. 

"Wrong  e'nuff!  Jeb  an'  m'sef  havin'  t'  eat 
meals  all  alone  in  a  big  kitchen  that's  fine  e'nuff  fer 
any  one.  But  these  fool  gals  is  so  high  an'  mighty 
they  hez  t'  nibble  at  a  table  under*  the  trees!" 
Sary's  lofty  scorn  was  only  equaled  by  her 
majestic  pose,  as  she  delivered  her  sentence. 

"You're  wrong,  Sary,  we  do  not  nibble  at  the 
table — we  leave  that  for  the  field-mice,"  cor- 
rected Mrs.  Brewster,  sweetly. 
-  Sary  vented  an  explosive  "Humph!"  and 
grabbed  the  meat-platter.  As  she  left  the  kitchen, 
she  sent  an  insulted  glance  at  her  mistress,  but 
the  recent  correction  in  speech  made  her  forget 
the  hornet.  The  watchful  insect  had  been  sitting 
directly  over  the  door,  and  now  eagerly  resumed 
its  drive  on  the  enemy. 

Despite  her  resolve  to  be  dignified  and  scorn- 
ful, Sary  had  to  take  flight  before  the  group 
seated  about  the  table.  The  girls  laughed.  One 
of  the  maid's  loose  shoes  flew  off  during  the  race 
around  the  table  and  the  hornet  would  have  con- 
quered her  had  not  Mr.  Brewster  risen  to  the 


SEVERAL  MISUNDERSTANDINGS  139 

occasion  and  downed  the  insect  with  his  news- 
paper. His  heavy  boot  finished  the  career  of  the 
"Hun-net"  and  Sary  went  back  to  the  house, 
picking  up  her  shoe  as  she  passed  its  resting 
place. 

Once  more  in  the  kitchen,  she  returned  to  the 
argument.  "Ef  it  warn't  that  you-all  hed  this 
comp'ny  an'  would  be  worn  out  in  no  time,  alone, 
Ah'd  pack  an'  git,  this  day!"  But  in  her  heart 
the  widow  knew  horses  could  not  drag  her  from 
such  luxury  as  she  had  only  recently  enjoyed. 
Besides,  there  was  Jeb;  he  offered  future  possi* 
bilities  of  curtailing  her  widowhood. 

While  Sary  delivered  her  opinion,  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster  finished  creaming  the  potatoes  and  now  dished 
them  up.  As  she  started  for  the  screed-door, 
she  turned  to  the  maid  and  said: 

"Either  you  have  a  severe  attack  of  indigestion 
coming  on,  Sary,  or  you  are  falling  in  love  again. 
Both  diseases  present  similar  symptoms  in  their 
first  stages." 

"Mis'  Brewster!" 

But  the  mistress  refused  to  look  back  even 
though  the  temptation  to  see  Sary's  face  was 
great! 

"Oh,  Mis'  Brewster  I  How  kin  you-all  say 
that — so  soon  after  Bill's  funeral,  an'  the  ex- 


1 40          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

penses  not  all  paid  yit!"  howled  Sary,  rushing 
to  the  door  that  her  mistress  might  hear  her 
lament. 

But  the  call  fell  upon  deaf  ears.  Miss  Brew- 
ster  deigned  no  reply,  so  Sary  sat  down  heavily 
upon  a  strong  kitchen  chair  and  took  thought  for 
herself.  How  did  Miss  Brewster  guess  her 
half-formed  idea?  Had  she  discovered  in  some 
uncanny  manner,  that  Sary  had  slyly  removed 
Bill's  post-card  photograph  from  her  Bible  and 
cremated  it  that  she  might  feel  freer  to  accept 
a  second  proposal  of  marriage — if  it  came? 

"She  coulden'  hev  foun'  that  out,  cuz  Ah  locked 
th'  box  sence  then.  She  mus'  be  one  of  them 
brain-readers  by  nature,  Ah  rickon,  an'  she  jes' 
reads- me  like  a  book!" 

Never  dreaming  of  the  turbulence  created  in 
Sary's  mind  by  her  casual  remark  about  dyspepsia 
and  love,  Mrs.  Brewster  took  her  chair  at  the 
table.  Immediately  after  giving  thanks,  the  host 
stood  up  to  carve  the  roast.  Then,  to  the  sur= 
prise  of  all  present,  it  was  seen  that  the  rancher 
had  donned  his  second-best  black  coat  and  had 
taken  the  trouble  to  wear  cuffs  and  a  starched 
collar. 

Trying  to  avoid  Polly's  eyes.  Mrs.  Brewster 
met  the  gaze  of  Anne.  But  the  two  understood 


SEVERAL  MISUNDERSTANDINGS  141 

and  exchanged  a  fleeting  glance  of  satisfaction 
and  approval. 

"Well,  girls,  did  you  visit  Rainbow  Cliffs — 
and  how  did  you  like  them?"  asked  Mr.  Brew- 
ster,  having  finished  the  carving. 

"Oh,  they  are  just  wonderful!"  declared  Elea- 
nor. 

"I  hear  they  are  very  valuable,"  remarked 
Barbara. 

Mr.  Brewster  sent  her  a  sharp  glance  and 
then  frowned  at  Polly.  "Ah  never  give  that  a 
thought.  There  they've  stood  for  ages  before 
Sam  Brewster  saw  them,  and  Ah  reckon  there 
they'll  stand  for  ages  after  Sam  Brewster  is  dead 
and  forgotten!" 

"Not  if  I  can  coax  Polly  to  sell  enough  of  the 
loose  stones  to  buy  an  automobile  and  go  off  to 
school!"  said  Eleanor,  emphatically. 

An  annoyed  look  from  Mr.  Brewster  and  a 
surprised  one  from  Mrs.  Brewster  made  Anne 
and  Polly  feel  uncomfortable  at  Eleanor's  lack  of 
tact.  But  the  hostess  was  equal  to  the  situation. 

"Polly,  who  do  you  think  came  to  the  kitchen 
door  to  ask  for  you  while  you  were  at  the  cliffs, 
this  morning?" 

"Here — to  ask  for  me,  Mah — mother!"  ex- 
claimed Polly,  in  surprise. 


142          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Yes,  and  she  felt  deeply  offended  because  you 
had  not  asked  for  her  health  or  even  sent  word 
to  her  by  Jeb — and  she  so  lonely  after  her 
accident,  too!"  Mrs.  Brewster  managed  to  ex- 
press great  pathos  with  her  words. 

"Oh,  my  darling  Noddy!  Mother,  did  she 
come  to  the  door?"  laughed  Polly,  sympathetic 
tears  starting  in  her  eyes  at  the  picture  called  up 
by  her  mother. 

"Yes,  and  she  said  it  was  simply  inexcusable  in 
you.  She  was  willing  to  carry  you  anywhere  you 
wished  to  go,  but  now  she  will  disown  you  for- 
ever, unless  you  make  peace  with  her,  this  after- 
noon," said  Mrs.  Brewster,  smiling  as  she  saw 
how  she  had  succeeded  in  her  effort  to  change 
the  thoughts  and  conversation  of  her  family. 

"And  Jeb  said  he  had  the  horses  ready  for  you 
girls  as  soon  as  you  wanted  to  try  them  out," 
added  Mr.  Brewster. 

Dinner  was  dispatched  hastily  after  this  an- 
nouncement, and  the  girls  ran  to  don  their  habits. 
All  idea  of  Barbara's  wiring  for  return-ticket 
money  that  day  was  forgotten  as  they  went  gayly 
towards  the  corral  to  try  out  different  horses. 

The  entire  afternoon  was  given  over  to  excit- 
ing sport,  as  the  girls,  and  even  Mrs.  Brewster, 
tried  to  outride  each  other  about  the  great  en- 


SEVERAL  MISUNDERSTANDINGS  143 

closure.  Polly  made  Noddy  happy  by  mounting 
her  silky  little  back  and  whispering  fond  nothings 
in  the  long  ears.  Anne  was  pleased  to  find  her 
Chicago  friends  could  ride  so  well  on  the  restive 
western  horses,  and  both  Chicago  girls  were  sur- 
prised to  find  what  a  magnificent  rider  Mrs. 
Brewster  was.  She  was  slowly  rising  in  their 
private  opinions  of  her. 

During  the  following  days,  the  girls  took  short 
rides  to  points  of  interest  in  Bear  Forks  Valley 
and  nearby  mountains.  And  then  came  Sunday. 
Barbara  had  not  openly  declared  her  satisfaction, 
with  the  ranch  or  time  spent  with  its  people,  the 
past  week,  but  neither  had  any  one  heard  a  hint 
of  her  returning  to  Chicago.  In  fact,  so  much 
had  been  crowded  in  the  days  just  gone  by,  that  no 
moment  had  been  found  in  which  to  think  of  re- 
turning home.  The  trunks  had  not  been  opened 
since  the  habits  had  been  removed,  as  there  was 
no  need  for  changes  of  costumes,  and  the  traveling 
bags  had  contained  all  the  girls  needed  for  a  few 
days. 

The  ranchers  of /the  Rocky  Mountains  are  so 
strict  about  observing  the  Sabbath  Day,  that  every- 
thing pleasurable,  or  in  the  form  of  work,  has  to 
end  at  twelve  o'clock  Saturday  night.  Every  one 
goes  to  "meetin'  "  on  Sundays,  some  driving  a  dis- 


144          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

tance  of  twenty  miles,  or  more.  Once  a  month, 
an  ordained  preacher  crosses  the  Flat  Top  Moun- 
tains to  hold  a  regular  service,  and  on  other  Sun- 
days the  leading  ranchers  read  the  Bible  and  con- 
duct prayers. 

The  weather  throughout  summer  in  this  sec- 
tion of  Colorado  is  generally  fine  and  clear. 
Should  a  heavy  thunder  storm  arise,  it  as  quickly 
passes  over  again.  The  nights  are  cool  and  dewy 
and  the  days  glorious  and  exhilarating.  Hence 
one  has  no  dread  of  foggy  or  prolonged  rainy 
days  as  in  the  East. 

The  plan  of  dining  under  the  trees  had  proved 
a  good  one,  and  as  the  weather  remained  fair, 
no  meals  had  to  be  eaten  in  the  kitchen  since 
that  first  day. 

When  the  family  gathered  about  the  table  that 
Sunday  morning,  they  all  seemed  cheerful  and 
animated,  but  Mr.  Brewster  had  not  yet  made 
his  appearance. 

"Has  Mr.  Brewster  had  breakfast  so  soon?" 
asked  Anne. 

"No,  he  has  not  come  out  yet;  he  is  reading  the 
Sunday  lesson  for  his  class  in  School,"  replied 
Mrs.  Brewster. 

"Sunday  School!  Do  you  go?  Where  is  the 
church?"  asked  Eleanor,  wonderingly. 


THE  AFTERNOON  WAS  GIVEN  OVER  TO  TRYING  OUT  HORSES. 
Potty  of  Pebbly  Pit.  Page  142 


SEVERAL  MISUNDERSTANDINGS  145 

"Down  at  Bear  Forks  School-house.  We  use 
it  for  church,  as  well  as  for  other  important  pur- 
poses, besides  day-school,"  Mrs.  Brewster  re- 
plied, smilingly. 

Soon  after  the  girls  appeared  at  table,  Mr. 
Brewster  came  out.  He  said  good  morning  in  a 
very  sedate  manner  that  surprised  the  girls  who 
were  not  accustomed  to  his  Sunday  manners. 

That  morning  he  gave  a  lengthy  prayer  of 
thanks  that  was  meant  to  cover  the  past  week, 
but  once  he  had  concluded  grace,  he  turned  to  his 
wife. 

"Mary,  I'm  sure  I  smelled  the  omelette  scorch- 
ing." 

Mrs.  Brewster  hurried  to  the  kitchen  where 
she  found  the  eggs  burning  and  the  room  filled 
with  horrid  smoke.  Sary  was  scolding  at  a  great 
rate,  but  she  never  used  a  profane  word  because 
it  was  wicked. 

"Why,  Sary,  how  did  you  happen  to  let  the 
eggs  burn?" 

"How  come?  Well,  I'll  tell  you-all!  Mr. 
Brewster  handed  me  a  printed  prayer  to  learn,  and 
I  was  looking  for  my  specs  in  my  box  when  it 
happened  1  That's  all  the  good  that  prayer  did 
me!" 

Mrs.  Brewster  kept  a  straight  face  and  said: 


146  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Well,  never  mind,  Sary.  We'll  soon  have  an- 
other omelette  ready." 

"Not  on  Sunday!  I  made  one,  and  that  was 
a  sin,  ez  you  kin  see  by  the  way  it  burnt.  I  does 
no  more  cookin'  or  there'll  be  extra  sin  to  wipe 
out.  Thar's  bread  and  jam  and  coffee — enough 
fer  any  one  to  git  along  on  fer  a  few  hours." 

Mrs.  Brewster  knew  her  husband,  however, 
so  she  said  nothing  to  Sary,  but  hurriedly  whipped 
up  another  omelette  and  fried'  it  to  a  delicate 
brown.  This  she  carried  out  to  serve.  At  the 
kitchen  door  she  turned  to  speak  to  the  help. 

"Sary,  bring  out  the  bread  and  jam,  will  you?" 

Sary  had  filled  a  deep  dish  with  dry  cereal  and 
held  it  in  one  hand.  She  took  up  the  coffee-pot 
with  the  other  and  ran  to  get  out  of  the  screen- 
door  which  had  been  flung  open  by  her  mistress. 
But  the  door  slammed  to  sooner  than  Sary  had 
calculated  and  struck  the  coffee-pot  in  its  violent 
closing,  throwing  it  upon  the  floor. 

"Consarn  th'  pesky  door!  Now  thar  hain't 
nuthin'  on  arth  fer  Mr.  Brewster  to  give  thanks 
fer  but  jes'  toast  and  jam.  Ah  cain't  bile  another 
pot  of  coffee  on  Sunday!"  Sary  stood  contem- 
plating the  disaster  until  Mrs.  Brewster  called 
out: 

"Sary,  will  you  bring  that  bread  and  jam?" 


SEVERAL  MISUNDERSTANDINGS  147 

The  help  brought  the  desired  edibles  and  ex- 
plained about  the  coffee.  Eleanor  laughed  out 
loud,  but  Anne  kicked  her  warningly  under  the 
table. 

Mr.  Brewster  turned  to  explain  to  his  guests. 
"Ranchers  never  work  on  the  Sabbath.  The  less 
we  cook  the  better  it  is,  for  we  do  penance  to 
our  material  desire  for  food.  I  have  never  been 
so  severe  as  to  forbid  cooked  food  on  my  table, 
but  many  of  the  families  do.  This  morning,  how- 
ever, we  are  compelled  to  sacrifice  our  weaknesses 
to  Sary's  ways." 

So  the  bread  and  jam  was  eaten  with  the 
omelette,  to  the  accompaniment  of  cold  water, 
and  then  the  master  prepared  to  leave  the  table. 

"Girls,  don't  waste  much  time  fussing  with 
your  toilette;  we  are  behind  time  as  it  is." 

"Did  you  expect  us  to  go  to  church?"  gasped 
Barbara. 

"Certainly.  Everybody  goes,"  returned  Mr. 
Brewster,  equally  surprised  at  such  a  question. 

"Why,  we  haven't  unpacked  any  clothes  for 
church." 

"That  doesn't  matter.  The  Lord  doesn't  judge 
according  to  dress.  If  your  heart  is  clean  it  is  all 
He  wants,"  replied  Mr.  Brewster,  walking  away 
towards  the  house. 


POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

The  girls  looked  at  each  other  in  amazement. 

"What  shall  we  do,  Anne?  I  won't  go  in  this 
old  rag!"  declared  Barbara. 

"Don't  drag  me  into  the  argument,  Bob.  You 
hate  going  to  church  and  there's  no  use  trying  to 
pretend  it  is  your  dress  that  keeps  you  away." 

"Would  Eleanor  care  to  go  with  us?"  asked 
Mrs.  Brewster. 

"Is  Polly  going?"  countered  Eleanor. 

"Oh,  yes,  I  always  go,"  said  Polly. 

"We-el,  I  don't  know,  Poll.  I'll  go  next 
Sunday  but  I  am  taken  by  surprise  this  week. 
I'll  stay  home  with  Bob,  I  guess." 

"Very  well,  then,  I'll  tell  Mr.  Brewster  to  omit 
the  extra  seat  in  the  wagon,"  and  Mrs.  Brewster 
hurried  away  to  dress. 

"What  shall  we  do  all  morning?"  asked 
Eleanor  the  moment  the  ranch-wagon  was  out  of 
sight. 

"We  might  unpack  a  few  things  we  need,  and 
arrange  the  trunks  so  mine  can  be  sent  back  home 
without  giving  you  any  trouble  about  yours,"  sug- 
gested Barbara. 

"That's  a  good  plan.  And  a  good  day  to  do 
it  in,  too,"  laughed  Eleanor. 

"I  think  it  is  ridiculous — the  way  they  go  on 


SEVERAL  MISUNDERSTANDINGS  149 

about  the  Sabbath!  I  suppose  they  would  be 
dreadfully  shocked  if  they  knew  we  were  about  to 
unpack  our  trunks!"  said  Barbara,  sneeringly. 

Time  passed  quickly  in  sorting  out  the  numerous 
items  in  the  seven  trunks,  and  the  girls  felt 
famished  before  they  were  done.  The  articles 
they  wished  to  have  out  for  use  were  piled  up 
on  the  grass  outside  the  barn,  and  it  looked  a  for- 
midable heap  when  all  was  ready  to  leave  the 
barn. 

"Goodness  me!  We'll  have  to  make  a  dozen 
trips  to  the  house  with  all  this  I"  exclaimed  Elea- 
nor. 

"We'll  carry  all  we  can  pile  up  this  first  trip, 
and  then  have  luncheon.  Afterward  we  will  carry 
the  rest  over,"  said  Barbara. 

The  clothing  seemed  so  light  that  they  kept 
piling  up  the  articles  until  they  could  hardly  see 
from  under  the  mountain  of  lingerie  and  acces- 
sories. But  they  both  found  how  heavy  the  light 
summer  clothes  could  be,  when  one's  arms  were 
extended  unnaturally  to  hold  up  so  much  finery. 

They  finally  reached  the  porch  and  threw  the 
things  into  rustic  chairs,  while  they  sat  down  to 
cool  off  in  the  breeze. 

"Now,  you  carry  the  clothes  to  the  bedroom, 


150          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Bob,  while  I  hunt  in  the  kitchen  for  something 
to  eat,"  remarked  Eleanor,  after  a  time. 

These  important  duties  attended  to,  the  girls 
were  about  to  go  to  the  barn  for  a  second  load  of 
clothing  when  the  ranch-wagon  drove  up  to  the 
steps.  The  family  got  out  and  Jeb  drove  on  to 
the  barn. 

"What's  this  on  the  grass?"  asked  Mr.  Brew- 
ster,  stooping  to  pick  up  a  silk  stocking. 

"That's  Barbara's,  I  think,"  said  Anne,  in- 
stantly divining  the  cause  of  its  being  there. 

Then  Jeb  came  running  back  to  the  house  with 
news.  "Ah  found  th'  trunks  is  b'en  opened  by 
some  one,  an'  all  th'  finery  is  piled  on  the  grass 
outside  th'  barn.  What  hes  happened,  Ah  want  to 
know." 

Luckily  Mrs.  Brewster  heard  his  remark  an'd 
Mr.  Brewster  had  no  time  to  speak  before 
she  caught  Anne's  hand,  and  led  Jeb  back  to 
the  barn.  Shortly  thereafter,  the  three  returned 
laden  with  everything  ever  known  in  a  lady's 
wardrobe. 

"Mary,  you  have  broken  the  commandments 
to-day!"  said  Mr.  Brewster,  overcoming  a  keen 
desire  to  laugh  at  his  wife. 

"Maybe,  Sam,  but  I  strengthened  another, 
called  the  'Golden  Rule' — I  certainly  did  unto 


SEVERAL  MISUNDERSTANDINGS  151' 

them  what  I  want  some  one  to  do  for  mine  in 
case  of  need.  Poor  girls!" 

Sary  happened  to  be  coming  from  the  kitchen 
with  the  early  supper  dishes  in  her  hands.  She 
saw  Jeb  with  dainty  silk  lingerie  almost  covering 
his  head,  and  she  heard  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brewster's 
words.  It  was  too  much! 

She  continued  on  her  way,  but  once  she  reached 
the  table  she  thumped  the  dishes  down  to  vent  her 
spite.  "To  think  them  city  gals  kin  wind  Jeb 
about  their  fingers  like  that !  On  a  Sunday,  too ! 
Ah  wonder  hain't  he  got  no  respeck  fer  me  an' 
the  Brewster  women,  that  he  allows  them  snippy 
misses  to  git  him  to  carry  underwear — him 
what's  an  unmarried  man,  at  that!" 

While  the  family  sat  at  table  enjoying  the  quiet 
Sunday  evening,  Sary  took  advantage  of  their 
interesting  discourse  to  slip  away  from  the  kitchen 
and  examine  the  beautiful  lace-trimmed  apparel 
spread  out  upon  the  great  bed  in  the  guest-room. 

"Laws  me!  Ef  it  hain't  like  a  bridal  outfit. 
Ef  Ah  ever  hed  hed  th'  chanst  t'  put  on  ennything 
like-es-that,  I'd  not  have  hed  t'marry  a  poor 
rancher  like  Bill.  Ah  could  have  hed  my  pick  of 
the  men  at  Oak  Crick!" 

Sary  sighed  with  pity  at  her  own  limitations  in 
life,  and  thea  crept  back  to  her  kitchen  planning 


1 52          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

how  she  could  manage  to  get  one  of  the  girls  to 
present  her  with  some  of  the  bridal  finery.  Thus 
pondering  the  problem,  she  sat  down  opposite  Jeb 
and  entertained  him,  as  he  ate  his  Sunday  supper 
of  pork  and  beans. 


THE   DANCE   AT  BEAR   FORKS 

THE  interesting  events  which  crowded  each 
other,  day  after  day,  in  this  western  life,  so  en- 
grossed the  girls  that  Bob  forgot  her  vow  to 
send  a  telegram  for  return  money  to  Chicago. 
She  even  forgot  to  write  to  Mrs.  Maynard  at 
Newport,  or  to  any  of  her  society  friends,  until 
Anne  reminded  her  of  a  duty  to  her  parents. 

Tuesday  following  their  first  Sunday  at  Pebbly 
Pit,  a  rancher's  wife  called  just  before  noon, 
to  deliver  invitations. 

"Ah  heer'd  tell  how  you-all  had  comp'ny  this 
summer?"  were  the  words  with  which  she  greeted 
Mrs.  Brewster. 

"Yes,  a  few  young  people.  Will  you  be  seated, 
Mrs.  Halsey?"  said  Mrs.  Brewster,  placing  a 
chair  on  the  vine-shaded  porch. 

"Ah  come  t'  ast  you-all — say,  you,  Sally,  stop 
pickin'  them  flowers !  Mis'  Brewster'll  lick  yuh  1" 

153 


154          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

The  visitor  interrupted  herself  to  shout  at  her 
little  girl  who  proved  to  be  a  naughty  one. 

"Ez  Ah  was  savin',  Ah  come  t'  leave  an  invite 
fer  th'  hop  at  Bear  Forks.  We-all  is  glad  t'  see 
Anne  Stewart,  which  was  a  school-teacher  some 
time  back,  an'  it  was  fit  t'  celebrate  her  friendship, 
in  some  way.  Don't  cha  think  a  dance  jes'  th' 
thing?"  As  the  visitor  spoke  she  rocked  violently 
back  and  forth. 

"I'm  sorry  my  visitors  are  not  here  to  thank 
you  themselves,  but  I  feel  sure  they  will  be  de- 
lighted to  attend  the  dance,"  replied  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster,  shaking  her  head  rebukingly  at  the  small 
boy  who  stood  on  the  rockers  of  his  mother's 
chair,  and  gripped  hold  of  the  back,  and  so  was 
roughly  swayed  back  and  forth  with  the  rocking. 

"See  har,  yuh  Jim  Henderson  Halsey — git 
down  from  thar!  Ef  Ah  ketch  yuh,  Ah'll  skin 
yer  face  fer  the  hop — that  Ah  will!"  threatened 
the  mother,  trying  to  reach  her  young  hopeful. 

But  Jim  Henderson  Halsey  knew  from  dire 
experiences  just  what  to  expect  did  his  mother 
succeed  in  catching  him,  so  he  dodged  and  ran 
away. 

"Did  you-all  say  the  gals  would  be  in  shortly?" 
asked  the  caller. 


THE  DANCE  AT  BEAR  FORKS    155 

"No,  I  said  they  were  not  in.  They  are  at  the 
corral  this  morning." 

"Laws  me !  What  a  place  t'  spend  th'  mornin'. 
Ah  reckon  they'll,  be  along  any  time,  then." 

"They  left  here  just  before  you  came  and  they 
are  practicing  on  our  western  horses  before  tak- 
ing any  long  trips,"  explained  Mrs.  Brewster, 
looking  regretfully  at  the  flower-beds  where  the 
two  willful  children  were  destroying  the  fruits  of 
her  planting. 

Mrs.  Halsey  followed  her  hostess's  glance  and 
jumped  up.  "Ef  yuh  two  varmints  don't  quit  that, 
an'  come  right  t'  me,  Ah'll — Ah'll  shet  yuh  up 
in  a  boogy-hole!"  shrilled  the  irate  mother. 

Sary  heard  the  familiar  voice  and  instantly  ran 
from  the  kitchen  to  assist  in  entertaining  the  morn- 
ing visitor.  The  two  bad  youngsters,  left  to  their 
own  devices,  began  throwing  the  whitewashed 
stones  that  encircled  Mrs.  Brewster's  roundels. 

"How-dy,  Miss  Halsey?"  was  Sary's  greeting, 
her  large  hand  extended  in  cordial  comradeship. 

"Oh,  it's  Sary  Dodd!  How-dee,  Sary?  Ah 
recommember  now  that  you-all  come  t'  live  wid 
Miss  Brewster.  How'd  you-all  like  th'  place?" 

The  visitor's  frankness  lost  none  of  its  curiosity 
as  she  eagerly  waited  to  hear  all  about  the  Brew* 


156  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

ster  family  with  the  mistress  still  present,  but 
ignored. 

Sary  was  in  her  glory  and  made  the  most  of  it. 
She  had  just  reached  the  point  where  she  intended 
asking  the  "gossip"  to  stop  to  have  dinner,  when 
a  crash  interrupted  the  enlivening  Yellow  Jacket 
Pass  conversation. 

"Sary,  run  and  see  what  those  children  have 
done!"  cried  Mrs.  Brewster,  mentally  thanking 
her  stars  for  the  timely  intervention. 

Soon  the  ladies  heard  Jim  Henderson  Halsey 
bawling  loudly,  and  his  sister  backing  away  from 
the  buttery  while  she  continued  making  faces  at 
the  angry  help.  The  little,  girl's  protruded  tongue 
made  Sary  rush  at  her  with  uplifted  palm,  but 
both  youngsters  were  so  accustomed  to  dodging 
these  attacks,  that  they  reached  the  haven  of  Mrs. 
Halsey's  presence  without  a  painful  encounter. 

"The  ol*  thing  shook  me  till  my  teeth  rattled!" 
wailed  Jim  Henderson,  etc. 

"Sarves  yuh  right!  What  cha  be'n  up  t\  any 
way?"  retorted  Mrs.  Halsey,  the  hope  of  dinner 
still  lingering,  but  growing  dim  as  Sary  did  not 
return. 

Fortunately,  for  the  general  peace  of  all  con- 
cerned, Mr.  Brewster  drove  up  to  the  porch,  on 


THE  DANCE  AT  BEAR  FORKS    157 

his  way  to  Oak  Creek.  His  wife's  beseeching 
look  appealed  to  him  understandingly. 

"Good  morning,  Mrs.  Halsey.  Ah  hear  you- 
all  are  inviting  folks  to  the  dance  at  the  school 
house.  Want  me  to  give  you  a  lift  to  Jamison's 
ranch — he  hasn't  been  invited  yet!" 

"Why,  Ah  figgered  goin'  thar  after  dinner.  Be 
you-all  goin'  off  before  yuh  eat?" 

"Ah  am  not  sure  when  we  will  have  dinner  to- 
day, the  young  ladies  are  so  engaged  with  riding, 
you  see." 

The  moment  the  Halsey  scions  heard  mention 
of  "dinner"  they  clung  to  their  mother's  skirts 
and  whined:  "We-all  wanta  stay  to  dinnerr! 
Don't  cha  go  widdout  dinnerr !" 

"Why  not  give  the  children  some  cake,  mother, 
and  then  Mrs.  Halsey  can  have  a  bite  with  Jami- 
son. He  can  lift  her  on  to  the  next  ranch,  too," 
suggested  Mr.  Brewster. 

Mrs.  Brewster  instantly  acquiesced  and  ran  to 
cut  three  generous  triangles  of  cake,  while  her 
husband  came  up  and  lifted  Sally  up  into  the  deep 
wagon.  Before  any  of  the  Halsey  family  could 
protest,  he  had  turned,  lifted  Jim  Henderson  up 
beside  his  sister  and  then  asked  the  visitor  if 
he  could  help  her  up  to  the  seat. 


158          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

The  cake  was  distributed,  and  the  vexed  but 
vanquished  morning  caller  jabbed  a  hat-pin 
through  her  rusty  toque  and  pulled  her  jet-trim- 
med shoulder  cape  tightly  over  her  back,  before 
bowing  haughtily  to  Mrs.  Brewster. 

Not  until  the  ranch-wagon  turned  the  edge  of 
Rainbow  Cliffs  did  Mrs.  Brewster  permit  herself 
to  leave  the  post  of  watching  and  slump  down 
into  the  porch  rocker  with  a  sigh  of  gratitude. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  sound  of  wheels  caused 
her  to  spring  up  in  dread,  but  her  husband's 
cheery  laugh  relieved  her  fears. 

"Ah  saw  your  difficulty  and  did  the  only  sensi- 
ble thing;  but  we-all  must  keep  this  trick  a  secret. 
If  Sary  gets  hold  of  it,  my  reputation  in  Bear 
Forks,  or  Yellow  Jacket  Pass,  is  gone,"  confided 
Sam  Brewster  to  his  wife,  as  he  glanced  fearfully 
about  for  Sary. 

The  horn  for  dinner  sounded  shortly  after  the 
master's  return  and,  at  the  table,  the  girls  were 
told  of  the  visitor  and  her  invitation  to  the  dance, 
but  no  word  of  her  form  of  departure  was  men- 
tioned. 

"It's  lucky  we  have  evening-dresses,"  remarked 
Barbara. 

"Do  folks  dress  up  at  these  parties?"  asked 
Eleanor. 


THE  DANCE  AT  BEAR  FORKS    159 

"I  should  say  we  do!"  declared  Polly. 

Mrs.  Brewster  and  Anne  were  talking  in  low 
tones  and  did  not  hear  the  question  and  answer, 
so  they  did  not  explain  what  Polly  meant  by 
"dressing  up." 

The  days  intervening  between  the  Tuesday  and 
the  Friday  set  down  for  the  hop  passed  quickly. 
Polly  and  her  mother  washed  and  renovated  the 
dotted  swiss  dress  made  for  the  school-commence- 
ment, and  to  Polly's  delight  Anne  added  a  blue 
sash  and  hair  ribbons. 

Anne  had  a  simple  flowered-silk  gown  she  pro- 
posed wearing.  And  the  city  girls  had  elab- 
orate dresses — Barbara's  very  much  in  the  latest 
mode  and  Eleanor's  flounced  and  furbelowed,  but 
modestly  high  in  the  neck  as  became  a  girl  not 
yet  "out." 

Sary  had  bewailed  her  fate  the  day  preceding 
the  eventful  one.  Eleanor  pacified  her  by  pre- 
senting her  with  a  net-lace  collar  to  enliven  her 
rusty  black  alpaca. 

An  early  supper  was  planned,  as  the  ride  to 
Bear  Forks  school  would  take  more  than  an  hour, 
and  every  one  wanted  to  be  there  for  the  grand 
march.  For  several  hours  before  supper-time, 
Barbara  locked  herself  in  the  bed-room  and  be- 
gan her  toilette.  She  dressed  her  hair,  massaged, 


i6o          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

and  rouged  and  penciled  her  eyebrows,  until  she 
quite  tired  herself  out. 

Eleanor  and  Anne  rapped  again  and  again  for 
admission,  but  Barbara  was  obdurate  about  her 
right  of  possession.  When  she  finally  opened  the 
door  for  her  room-mates,  they  stared  at  her  in 
amused  surprise. 

"Your  hair  looks  all  sizzly,  Bob,"  said  Eleanor. 

"Oh,  Bob,  remove  some  of  that  carmine  from 
your  lips !"  advised  Anne. 

"Why?"  demanded  Barbara. 

"Too  much  of  it,  that's  all!"  giggled  Eleanor. 

But  Anne  and  Eleanor  had  their  own  toilettes 
to  make  and  paid  no  further  attention  to  Barbara. 
She  managed  to  remove  some  of  the  carmine,  and 
pat  down  her  hair,  but  she  could  not  do  things  as 
the  French  maid  generally  did  them  to  add  to  her 
beauty. 

Feeling  dissatisfied  with  her  appearance  made 
Barbara  irritable,  but  she  remained  in  the  room 
criticizing  everything  the  two  other  girls  did  or 
said.  Then  just  before  the  horn  sounded  for 
supper,  a  knock  came  at  the  door. 

"Come  in!"  called  Anne,  buttoning  her  white 
stiede  boots. 

"  'S  onny  me.  Ah  jes'  wanta  ast  you-all  ef  it 
is  right  in  city  sassiety,  fur  a  iridder  of  six  months' 


THE  DANCE  AT  BEAR  FORKS    161 

standin'  t'  go  t'  a  party  whar  onny  old  frien's 
will  be.  Thar  won't  be  no  sky-larkin'  er  high- 
jinks,  yo'  know!" 

Sary's  anxious  tone  expressed  her  eagerness  for 
a  favorable  reply  to  her  query  on  widowhood. 
Eleanor  looked  at  Anne  to  answer,  so  she  took 
the  initiative. 

"Certainly,  Sary — come  right  along  and  enjoy 
yourself." 

Barbara  was  shocked.  "The  help's  not  going — 
surely!" 

"Humph!  Miss  Halsey  ast  me  afore  she  men- 
tioned you-all!"  snapped  Sary,  quite  able  to  de- 
fend herself  against  Barbara's  pride. 

"Oh,  Bob  doesn't  mean  it  that  way,  Sary,"  said 
Eleanor,  giving  her  sister  a  backward  kick  for 
silence. 

"Of  course  not!  Bob  means  that  your  mourn- 
ing might  prevent  your  attending  the  dance.  But 
seeing  we  are  all  old  friends  from  ranches  round 
about,  it  will  be  like  meeting  your  family,"  added 
Anne,  the  pacifist. 

"Wall,  then,  Ah'll  go,"  sighed  Sary,  as  if  loath 
to  join  a  merry  throng.  "But  Ah  hez  t'  have  a 
smitch  of  somethin'  like-ez-how  Miss  Bob  hez  fer 
her  shoulders,  cuz  my  neck's  gettin'  scrawny 


now." 


i6i          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Barbara  had  draped  chiffon  over  her  neck  and 
dress,  and  at  Sary's  request,  she  turned  angrily. 
"The  very  idea!  This  chiffon  is  two  dollars  a 
yard!" 

"I've  got  the  very  thing  you  need,  Sary.  You 
can  wear  second  mourning  now,  I  suppose!"  ex- 
claimed Eleanor,  sending  a  look  at  her  sister. 

She  hurried  to  the  closet  and  took  a  long  flat 
box  from  the  upper  shelf.  As  she  carried  it  over 
to  Sary,  Barbara  stared. 

"Eleanor  Maynard!  What  are  you  giving 
her?" 

"Something  I  never  will  need  this  summer,  and 
Sary  can  use  it  very  nicely  to  furbish  up  that  black 
dress." 

Sary  was  too  excited  to  wait  and  open  the  box 
in  her  own  room,  so  she  tore  off  the  paper  at  once. 
A  lovely  rainbow-tinted  chiffon  scarf  lay  revealed, 
the  predominating  colors  being  violet. 

"Ah-h-h!  Ah'm  clean  locoed,  Miss  Nolla ! 
Not  a  soul'll  ever  know  that  rusty  black  alpacky  is 
th'  same  dress  Miss  Pearson  mourned  her  husband 
in  fer  five  years  before  Ah  got  it  given  me !" 

"What  nonsense!  As  if  that  dainty  scarf  will 
hide  your  outlandish  dress  and  mountainous  fig- 
ure!" came  insultingly  from  Barbara. 


THE  DANCE  AT  BEAR  FORKS    163 

But  nothing  could  spoil  the  joy  of  possessing 
such  a  heavenly  wisp  of  angel's  robe  as  that  scarf 
seemed  to  be  to  Sary.  She  was  deaf  to  all  else, 
as  she  tenderly  hugged  the  box  to  her  ample 
bosom  and  backed  from  the  room. 

When  all  were  seated  about  the  table,  which 
was  spread  in  the  living  room  for  that  night,  Mr. 
Brewster  smiled  at  Polly  in  her  gala  attire.  Anne 
looked  sweet  and  lovely  in  her  simple  dress,  but 
the  host  could  not  quite  make  out  the  style  the 
city  girls  wore.  He  was  not  accustomed  to 
boudoir  gowns  of  filmy  lace  and  thin  silk,  and  he 
thought  they  were  a  new  style  of  party  dress. 
Had  he  known  what  Barbara  proposed  wearing, 
he  would  have  asked  her  to  remain  at  home. 

As  Sary  passed  the  bread  to  Eleanor  she  leaned 
over  and  beamed:  "Miss  Nolla,  Ah  tried  that  on, 
an'  you-all  woulden'  know  me !  Ah'm  shore  he'll 
pick  me  fer  a  lanciers!  Mebbe  that  scarf '11  give 
him  spine*enough  to  speak!" 

"Sary,  I  know  right  well  he  will!"  declared 
Eleanor,  not  dreaming  the  mischief  she  wrought 
in  Sary's  soul  at  that. 

Sary  pranced  back  to  the  kitchen,  but  her 
flighty  thoughts  were  swinging  corners  in  the 
quadrille  with  Jeb,  and  the  fried  potatoes 


164          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

gracefully  shot  into  the  coal-scuttle  as  the  pan 
was  waved  aloft  in  imitation  of  dancers  she  had 
envied  in  days  gone  by. 

"Sary,  hurry  with  the  coffee-pot,  please  I"  called 
Polly. 

And  Sary  grabbed  up  the  stone  jug  of  vinegar 
from  the  back  of  the  stove  where  she  had  placed 
it,  and  ran  in  to  pour  the  beverage  into  cups.  The 
combined  cries  of  every  one  at  the  table  failed  to 
bring  her  to  her  senses,  so  Mrs.  Brewster  told 
her  to  go  quickly  and  dress  for  the  dance. 

Then  wagon  wheels  sounded  on  the  gravel  road 
and  Jeb  yelled:  "Air  you-all  ready?" 

Sary  gave  a  last  lingering  look  in  the  tiny  mir- 
ror over  her  combination  wash-stand,  and  realized 
what  charms  she  had  when  rainbow  chiffon 
adorned  her  person.  She  then  snuffed  out  the 
tiny  lamp-wick  and  hurried  forth  to  meet  her 
fate. 

Jeb  was  dressed  regardless  of  all  censorship. 
A  great  flaming  peony  in  his  coat-lapel  reflected 
its  scarlet  on  his  ruddy  face.  His  tie  was  a  riot 
of  colors  and  detracted  somewhat  from  his  purple 
socks  and  tan  shoes.  He  wore  a  figured  near- 
silk  vest  won  at  an  Oak  Creek  raffle,  and  large 
checked  trousers  said  to  be  the  latest  fashion  some 
years  back,  when  he  squandered  his  money  on 


THE  DANCE  AT  BEAR  FORKS    165 

them.  With  his  face  scoured  until  it  shone,  and 
his  hair  greased  so  that  it  was  plastered  down 
neatly,  Jeb  felt  he  could  woo  and  win  the  prettiest 
gal  in  the  country-side.  He  forgot  there  was  a 
"female  widow"  about. 

The  Brewster  party  reached  the  school-house 
later  than  was  their  wont,  and  the  cloak-room  was 
well-filled  with  ranchers'  wives  and  daughters  all 
waiting  to  pass  judgment  on  the  strangers  from 
Pebbly  Pit. 

Mrs.  Brewster  and  Polly  entered  first,  shaking 
hands  with  friends  and  acquaintances.  Anne  fol- 
lowed smiling  benignly  on  all.  Barbara  came 
next,  casting  disdainful  looks  at  the  ordinary 
women  she  found  present.  Eleanor  delighted  in 
the  novel  experience  and  was  anxious  to  meet 
them  all. 

Once  in  the  small  room,  the  new-comers  began 
to    remove    their    dust-coats    and    wraps.     The 
ranchers'  parties  then  went  out  to  make  room. 
Barbara  turned  to  Anne  and  whispered: 
)     "Where  can  I  find  the  maid?" 

"Maid !    We  haven't  one  here,  you  know." 

"No  maid  to  help  me?  Goodness,  what  shall 
I  do?" 

"You're  supposed  to  dress  at  home;  besides, 
these  people  do  not  powder  or  rouge,  so  they  need 


1 66  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

no  mirror  or  maid,  you  see,"  explained  Eleanor, 
taking  delight  in  shocking  Barbara. 

"Then  I  suppose  I  will  have  to  go  out  without 
a  look  at  myself.  Do  I  look  all  right  to  you, 
Anne?" 

As  she  spoke,  Barbara  dropped  her  evening 
cloak  from  her  shoulders  and  pivoted  for  Anne's 
benefit.  Her  gown  of  rose-pink  net,  trimmed 
with  elaborate  gold  embroidery,  was  extremely 
decollete,  with  narrow  gold  bands  over  the  shoul- 
ders performing  the  double  duty  as  sleeves  and  to 
hold  the  lower  section  of  the  dress  up  in  place ! 

Barbara  turned  slowly  and  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  Mrs.  Brewster,  Polly,  and  a  few  strangers 
lagging  behind  to  watch  the  visitors.  Just  then 
Sary  hurried  in  rrom  the  dance-hall.  She  gasped 
at  the  sight  before  her  and  quickly  came  to  the 
rescue. 

"Shet  yer  eyes — every  one!  The  poor  dear! 
Ah'll  cover  her  up  whiles  some  one  finds  her 
basque!"  And  Sary  caught  up  Mrs.  Halsey's 
jet-trimmed*  cape  and  wound  it  quickly  about  Bar- 
bara's bare  neck  and  shoulders. 

"Child,  how  come  yuh  t'  fergit  the  basque? 
Er  what  hez  happened  to  it?"  cried  Sary,  sym- : 
pathetically,  while   Barbara   struggled  vainly  to 


THE  DANCE  AT  BEAR  FORKS    167 

wrench  herself  free  from  the  ill-smelling  wrap 
that  generally  hung  in  Halsey's  kitchen. 

"Ah  hev  it !  Polly,  git  the  box  Nolla  gave  me. 
Ah'll  let  Miss  Bob  wear  my  scarf!" 

This  meant  supreme  sacrifice  for  Sary,  but  shtf 
willingly  offered  the  one  and  only  treasure  t® 
serve  a  betrayed  friend.  Still  she  was  at  a  los« 
to  understand  where  that  basque  could  be ! 

Finally  Barbara  squirmed  free  and  Mrs.  Brew* 
ster  managed  to  say : 

"Sary,  Bob  has  on  one  of  her  most  modern 
evening  gowns.  They  are  made  without  tops, 
you  know!" 

Sary  gasped  and  suddenly  collapsed  upon  the 
chair.  Her  strained  expression,  as  she  took  a 
covert  look  at  the  dress,  spoke  volumes. 

"Glory  be,  Miss  Brewster,"  whispered  Sary, 
hoarsely.  "You-all  don'  mean  it  fer  trut',  do 
yuh?" 

"Yes,  Sary,  it  is  a  very  expensive  and  stylish 
robe." 

"An'  kin  you-all  let  her  march  brazen-like,  like 
that,  in  front  of  the  men !"  shrilled  Sary,  holding 
both  wide  hands  over  her  heart. 

"I  never  heard  or  dreamed  there  was  such 
ignorance  in  the  world,  as  I  have  found  in  Colo- 


rado!"  now  flared  Barbara,  turning  and  leaving 
the  cloak-room. 

Sary  waited  but  a  second,  then  she  cried,  "Ah 
cain't  'low  Jeb  t'  see  sech  sights — an'  he  a  good 
bachelor-man!" 

Sary  rushed  out  to  spare  her  prey  any  shocks, 
and  the  other  members  of  the  party  gazed  at 
each  other  doubtfully. 

"Oh,  well,  it's  not  our  funeral,  Polly!"  said 
Eleanor. 

"Shall  we  join  the  dancers?"  asked  Anne. 

"Yes,  but  I  fear  Bob  will  be  ostracized,"  said 
Mrs.  Brewster. 

"Serve  her  right!  Anne  and  I  told  her  not  to 
dress  like  that,  but  she  would,  you  know.  She 
wanted  to  show  folks  the  style,"  explained  Elea- 
nor, taking  silent  Polly  by  the*  arm  and  leading 
her  out  to  the  main  hall. 

As  they  left  the  cloak-room,  the  girls  heard 
the  fiddler  shout:  "Git  yer  pardners  fer  the  Grand 
March!" 

And  from  that  time  on  to  midnight,  the  three 
girls  had  the  best  fun  ever.  But  poor  Barbara 
stood  near  the  cloak-room  as  isolated  as  the 
plague,  for  the  ranchers  dared  not  even  look  at  a 
gown  without  a  top,  let  alone  dance  with  the 
doubtful  thing. 


CHAPTER  XI 

IN  THE  WILDERNESS 

EACH  day  the  four  girls  rode  along  various 
trails  until,  in  the  judgment  of  Jeb,  they  were 
practiced  enough  to  take  a  longer  ride  in  the 
mountains. 

Polly  had  been  urging  Jeb  to  give  a  favorable 
opinion  on  their  ability  to  stand  a  prolonged  ride 
to  the  Flat  Tops,  but  he  was  careful  and  prac- 
tical and  persisted  in  making  them  try  a  greater 
distance  daily  to  finally  harden  them  to  a  rough 
trail. 

Then  Jeb  said  he  reckoned  the  girls  could  start 
for  a  real  outing.  Immediately,  they  planned 
where  to  go  and  what  to  see. 

Polly  outlined  a  trip  that  might  take  a  whole 
day,  so  they  would  have  to  take  food  and  kit  for 
cooking  purposes.  Each  girl  would  ride  her 
favorite  horse  or  burro  and  the  extra  burro, 
Choko,  could  carry  the  outfit. 

Of  course,  Polly  decided  to  ride  Noddy,  as  the 
burro  was  well  acquainted  with  her  mistress's 

169 


170          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

ways  and  the  mountains.  Eleanor  preferred  a 
burro  also,  because,  as  she  said  comically,  "if 
one  falls  from  a  burro's  back  it  is  not  far  to 
Mother  Earth."  The  two  other  girls  selected 
horses,  sure-footed  and  trained  for  climbing. 

On  the  morning  chosen  for  the  trip,  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster  and  Sary  were  up  at  day-break  preparing  the 
kit  and  packing  the  panniers.  At  breakfast,  four 
eager  girls,  with  wide  sombreros  on  their  heads, 
heavy  mountain-shoes  and  leather  puttees  cover- 
ing feet  and  limbs,  talked  of  the  great  adventures 
they  were  about  to  meet  with. 

Sam  Brewster  laughed  at  their  wild  imaginings 
and  said:  "Ah  shouldn't  wonder  but  what  you-all 
will  find  a  second  'Aladdin's  Lamp'  hiding 
place.  Just  think  of  the  fun  to  be  had  by  rubbing 
the  Lamp  and  wishing  for  things!" 

Then  Jeb  brought  the  mounts  from  the  barn 
and  Sary  helped  him  strap  the  panniers  and  kit  to 
Choko.  Just  as  they  were  ready  to  start,  Sary 
flew  out  with  a  paper  package  carefully  held. 

"Polly,  Ah  made  a  s'prise  fer  you-all,  but  don't 
let  Choko  roll  in  it  er  run  away,  er  my  work  will 
go  fer  nuthin'." 

"Don't  worry  about  Choko,  Sary,  he's  too  trust- 
worthy to  serve  us  such  a  trick,"  bragged  Polly, 
petting  the  burro  on  the  head. 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  171 

"Wall,  then,  see  thet  it  hain't  shooken  up  too 
much  er  gittin'  mashed  under  the  ax,"  were  the 
parting  words  from  Sary,  as  she  shifted  the  short 
ax,  which  is  an  important  item  in  every  outfit. 

It  was  a  wonderful  summer  day — the  kind  that 
makes  one  feel  happy  in  mere  living,  and  the  an- 
ticipation of  wonders  to  come  added  a  zest  to  the 
outing  for  the  girls. 

They  left  the  trail  leading  from  Pebbly  Pit  and 
picked  up  the  rough  mountain  trail  at  the  Forks, 
Barbara  and  Eleanor  exclaiming  constantly  at  the 
gorgeous  wild  flowers  growing  wherever  the  roots 
could  find  lodgment. 

"I  never  saw  such  columbines !  Four  times  the 
size  of  ours  in  the  East,"  cried  Eleanor. 

"And  those  marvelous  orange-colored  blos- 
soms! They  look  like  a  rare  exotic,  with  their 
huge  clusters  and  flau'nting  colors!"  exclaimed 
Barbara. 

"If  you  girls  think  these  are  so  beautiful,  just 
wait  till  we  reach  the  'bottoms' — there  you  will 
see  size  and  color  enough  to  make  you  wonder  if 
you  accidentally  struck  Paradise,"  said  Anne. 

"And  our  ferns  and  mosses,  girls !  You  never 
saw  such  specimen,  elsewhere,"  added  Polly, 
churking  to  Choko  to  hurry  on. 

"Polly,  why  did  Jeb  over-load  that  poor  little 


172  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

burro?"  now  asked  Barbara,  having  lost  her 
momentary  interest  in  flora. 

"Choko  isn't  over-loaded  at  all.  Of  course  it 
looks  as  if  he  had  a  great  load  to  carry,  but  pans 
and  woolen  blankets  look  more  than  they  weigh, 
you  see.  The  heaviest  thing  he  carries  is  my  ax, 
I  reckon." 

"Ax!  What  do  you  want  of  an  ax?"  wen- 
dered  Barbara. 

"Can't  tell  how  cold  it  may  be  up  on  the  moun- 
tain-top, so  I  brought  the  sheath-knife,  ax,  rifle, 
and  other  things  in  case  we  get  the  tail-end  of  a 
blizzard." 

"And  the  blankets  in  case  we  get  lost  and  need 
to  camp  out  all  night,"  added  Anne,  teasingly, 
seeing  the  city  girls'  fears. 

"You  can't  really  mean  it,  Anne!  Surely  we 
won't  lose  our  way,  and  as  for  a  blizzard !  Well, 
it  is  July,"  laughed  Barbara. 

"It  wouldn't  be  the  first  time  we  ran  into  a 
blizzard  in  July,"  commented  Polly. 

"But  how  is  it  possible,  girl  alive !"  cried  Bar- 
bara. 

"Possible  enough  on  the  Flat  Tops.  The 
merest  rag  of  a  cloud  finds  an  excuse  to  carry 
snow  from  the  peaks.  The  wonder  will  be  if  we 
come  away  without  seeing  snow  fall." 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  173 

"Oh,  Polly,  how  thrilling!"  exclaimed  Eleanor. 

"Once  when  father  and  I  rode  over  this  same 
trail  to  find  a  trapper  who  had  pelts  for  sale,  we 
got  caught  in  a  blizzard.  We  got  the  pelts  but 
we  also  got  the  storm,  and  lucky  for  us  that  we 
had  the  pelts  first. 

"I  never  had  experienced  a  real  mountain  storm, 
but  father  had,  so  he  showed  me  what  to  do.  I 
think  I  would  know  now  just  what  to  do  in  case 
of  another  surprise." 

"Bu-r-r-r !  Let's  hope  you  won't  have  to  prac- 
tice on  us,"  laughed  Eleanor,  pretending  to  shiver. 

"Stop  your  nonsense,  Nolla !  I  don't  want  to 
think  of  such  dreadful  things,"  cried  Barbara. 

"And  I  want  to  hear  about  how  the  pelts  saved 
her  life,"  added  Anne. 

"It's  real  interesting,  Bob,  so  let  me  tell  them," 
asked  Polly,  and  receiving  no  unfavorable  word 
or  look,  she  proceeded : 

"It  was  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  of  course  no 
one  would  start  on  a  ride  wearing  a  fur-lined 
coat,  so  father  and  I  had  on  our  summer  clothes. 

"After  riding  along  Top  Notch  Trail  for  a 
time,  we  met  the  trapper  and  bargained  for  the 
furs,  then  started  back  by  a  new  trail  he  told 
us  of.  It  led  past  Pagoda  Peak,  and  just  as  we 
got  to  the  base  of  the  peak  and  discovered  the 


174          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

down-trail,  the  blizzard  came  swooping  upon  us 
without  warning. 

"Father  and  I  tried  to  keep  going,  but  the  gale 
traveled  too  fast  and  blew  in  whirling  eddies,  so 
we  got  the  pelts  out  of  the  bundle,  and  wrapped 
ourselves  in  the  largest  ones.  The  smaller  ones 
we  used  for  our  feet.  Father  found  two  great 
bear-skins  and  covered  the  horse — that  acted  as 
a  shield  on  one  side  from  the  storm — the  other 
horses  stood  in  front  and  back  of  us,  making  three 
sides  protected. 

"Father  then  made  me  creep  with  him  to  the 
refuge  made  by  the  three  horses  and  there  we  re- 
mained. The  horses  stood  perfectly  still  through- 
out the  blizzard,  which  lasted  only  an  hour  at 
most,  and  the  steam  they  exuded  from  their  bodies 
kept  us  quite  warm  as  we  crouched  under  them. 

"When  the  storm  blew  over,  we  dug  a  way  out 
and  removed  the  horse  blankets  and  fur  pelts 
from  the  horses.  Then  we  rolled  our  own  cover- 
ings into  the  bundle  and  started  on  down-trail. 
But  the  floods  of  melting  snow  caused  wash-outs 
and  it  was  risky  going.  When  we  reached  the  first 
Park  never  a  sign  of  snow  was  there,  and  the  only 
result  of  that  mountain  blizzard  was  an  added 
flood  of  water  pouring  down  the  gulieys  to  the 
bottoms  and  valley." 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  175 

"Oh,  Polly,  what  an  interesting  book  your  ad- 
ventures would  make !"  exclaimed  Eleanor. 

"I'd  like  to  write  it  down  as  you  tell  it,  Polly, 
and  we  can  surely  find  a  publisher  for  it,"  added 
Anne,  eagerly. 

"Really!  Oh,  how  I'd  love  to  tell  such  a 
story!"  said  Polly,  all  enthusiasm. 

"We'll  try  it  as  soon  as  we  get  back  to-night  I" 
promised  Anne. 

The  going  was  easy,  so  Polly  told  of  other  ad- 
ventures :  of  the  trip  to  Buffalo  Park  when  a  bear 
chased  them;  of  her  meeting  with  Old  Montresor, 
the  gold-seeker  of  Grizzly  Slide  and  his  pitiful 
story;  of  the  nights  spent  out  on  the  mountains, 
watching  beside  a  dying  camp-fire,  or  listening  to 
the  call  of  the  moose  to  his  mate  on  a  moonlit 
night;  of  the  wonderful  sport  fishing  in  trout-filled 
streams,  or  seeking  gorgeous  flora  and  strange 
fauna  on  the  peaks,  and  again  photographing  wild 
beasts  and  birds  that  never  showed  a  fear  of  her 
as  she  traversed  their  domains.  The  three  girls 
were  spell-bound  at  her  vivid  descriptions  and 
Anne  sighed  with  desire  to  put  it  all  down  on 
paper  for  future  publication. 

"Montresor's  Mine  is  in  this  mountain  that  I 
want  to  show  you  to-day.  He  was  a  dear  old  man 
who  lived  a  solitary  life  in  a  cabin  near  Buffalo 


176          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Park.  Patsy,  his  dog,  was  his  only  companion. 
But  he  died  and  left  me  his  mine — that  we  never 
found  again,"  sighed  Polly. 

"Oh,  Polly!  Tell  us  the  story!"  chorused  the 
girls. 

Polly  laughed:  "It  isn't  a  story,  'cause  there 
never  was  a  climax  as  real  stories  have  to  have, 
you  know.  But  I'll  tell  you  how  I  met  Mr. 
Montresor.  I  was  out  with  Noddy,  one  day,  and 
we  traveled  farther  than  usual. 

"In  leaving  a  bad  trail  to  take  a  good  one,  I 
met  the  gray-haired  man  slowly  riding  up.  An 
Irish  terrier  ran  back  of  his  horse,  sniffing,  sniff- 
ing, and  whining  as  if  distracted.  I  was  so  sur- 
prised at  the  dog's  actions  that  I  stopped  to  ask 
the  man  what  ailed  him. 

"  'Ah,  my  child,  Patsy  is  seeking  for  my  lost 
mine !' 

"  'Your  lost  mine !'  I  gasped,  for  I  had  never 
heard  of  him  or  his  mine,  although  folks  said 
there  was  a  rich  vein  of  gold  somewhere  in  the 
mountain. 

*"  'Yes,  child,  I  am  the  unfortunate  Montresor. 
Haven't  you  heard  of  my  great  loss?' 

"I  thought  the  poor  man  was   foolish,   so  I 

*  This  is  a  true  incident. 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  177 

humored  him  by  saying,  'No,  sir,  I  never  did. 
Won't  you  tell  me  about  it?' 

"Then  he  told  me  the  story.  He  had  been  an 
old  prospector  in  the  Klondike,  but  not  a  success- 
ful one,  as  he  was  too  honest.  On  his  return 
from  Alaska,  he  had  to  stop  in  Denver  and  work 
for  his  fare  back  to  the  East  where  he  came  from. 
Being  a  splendid  engineer  as  well  as  a  mineralogist, 
he  found  a  place  with  a  crew  of  mining  engineers 
about  to  inspect  Pagoda  Peak  section  and  Lost 
Lake  district.  He  came  with  them. 

"After  he  had  been  in  these  mountains  for  a 
time,  he  was  so  certain  of  finding  gold  that  he 
remained  when  the  rest  of  the  crew  went  back  to 
Denver.  After  two  years  of  patient  digging  and 
prospecting  he  took  a  new  trail  that  was  later 
found  to  be  Red  Man's  Trail,  seldom  traveled, 
as  it  was  such  dangerous  and  hard  going. 

"He  was  climbing  along  an  awful  place  where 
the  ledge  hung  over  a  chasm,  when  he  spied  a 
small  yellow  nugget  on  the  ground.  He  examined 
it  and  found  it  to  be  fine  red-gold.  Upon  look- 
ing about,  he  found  a  few  more,  but  there  seemed 
to  be  no  sign  of  gold  in  the  ledge  or  in  the  rocks 
about  him.  Still  he  staked  out  a  claim  on  the 
spot  in  hopes  of  later  finding  gold  hidden  in  the 
ground. 


POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"He  hobbled  his  horse  and  made  a  good  circuit 
of  the  place  and  then  discovered  that  the  opposite 
ledge  of  the  abyss  towered  up  hundreds  of  feet 
higher  than  the  one  he  was  on.  That  gave  him 
an  idea. 

"He  rode  the  horse  carefully  along  his  ledge 
until  he  reached  a  slope  where  both  ledges  met 
an  up-grade  of  mountain-side.  Leaving  the  lower 
ledge  and  back-trailing  on  the  higher  one,  he 
stopped  opposite  the  place  where  he  had  found 
the  nuggets.  He  dismounted,  sought  carefully 
about,  and  to  his  joy  found  more  nuggets  exactly 
like  the  ones  picked  up  on  the  opposite  lower  side. 

"He  took  the  pick  from  the  saddle  and  worked 
at  the  wall  facing  him,  and  discovered  a  rich  lode 
running  straight  in  through  the  solid  rock.  He 
was  so  excited  that  he  started  off  without  staking 
a  claim  or  otherwise  marking  the  place.  But  he 
soon  remembered  and  went  back.  He  made  out  a 
correct  claim  and  fastened  it  to  a  tree,  then  piled 
up  the  necessary  heaps  of  stone  with  his  stakes  in 
the  middle.  Doing  all  he  could  think  of  to  legally 
hold  the  right  to  mine  the  ore,  he  started  back 
along  the  dangerous  ledge.  It  was  so  dark  by 
this  time,  that  he  could  not  find  the  way  he  came, 
and  knowing  it  was  almost  impassable,  he  per- 
mitted the  horse  to  choose  a  way  out  by  going 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  179 

up  the  mountain-side,  and  so  he  finally  reached 
the  summit.  Here  he  camped  for  the  night  and 
early  in  the  morning  he  kept  on  till  he  struck 
Top  Notch  Trail,  but  so  circuitous  had  been  the 
route  that  he  never  could  describe  the  pathway 
his  horse  took. 

"Unfortunately,  he  had  left  Patsy  home  that 
day  to  guard  supplies  in  the  cabin,  and  he  did  not 
return  there  at  onde,  thinking  it  wiser  to  first  file 
his  claims  in  Oak  Creek.  The  clerk  asked  for 
section-corners  or  distances  from  the  nearest  sur- 
veyor's blaze,  but  Montresor  had  not  found  any. 

"It  was  a  question  whether  the  claim  would  be 
legal,  but  the  worried  old  man  refused  to  give 
full  details  of  the  spot,  as  he  feared  the  claim 
would  be  jumped,  and  he  purposed  going  back 
again  to  make  a  survey  for  himself. 

"On  his  way  to  the  cabin  for  Patsy,  a  dreadful 
storm  came  over  the  mountains  and  lasted  for 
three'  days.  Snow,  hail  and  wind  blew  down  the 
sides  until  it  seemed  as  if  winter  had  come  in  full 
blast.  O£  course,  no  one  would  attempt  climbing 
in  that  storm  and  Montresor  had  to  remain  in 
his  cabin  for  the  blizzard  to  pass. 

"When  he  was  able  to  travel  again,  he  took 
Patsy  to  help  find  the  place,  but  the  rain  had 
washed  away  all  scent  for  the  dog.  After  a 


i8o          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

tortuous  climb  on  the  trail,  made  ten-fold  worse 
by  the  down  timber  and  wash-outs,  Montresor 
discovered  land-marks  and  knew  he  was  on  the 
right  pathway. 

"However,  he  could  see  no  ravine  or  ledges, 
and  after  hunting  day  after  day,  without  locating 
a  spot  that  resembled  his  claim,  he  well-nigh  caved 
in.  There  was  no  gully,  no  ledge,  no  wall  of 
rock  with  fresh-picked  vein  of  gold  showing  in 
its  face!  In  fact,  so  much  rock  and  earth  and 
trees  had  been  washed  down  from  Top  Notch 
Trail  during  the  great  storm  that  the  whole  area 
he  had  previously  covered  had  changed  form  and 
appearances. 

"The  poor  man  then  tried  to  find  his  claim  by 
following  Top  Notch  Trail  and  coming  down 
from  the  summit,  but  he  was  taken  ill  and  laid 
up  in  his  cabin  for  a  long  time. 

"I  rode  up  to  see  him  whenever  I  could,  and 
father  wanted  him  to  have  some  one  stay  with 
him,  but  the  old  man  would  not.  Patsy  was  his 
only  nurse.  The  ranchers  laughed  and  said  he 
was  lunyover  gold,  and  that  he  never  had  seen 
any.  Still  there  was  the  ore  to  cause  wonderment, 
until  a  miner  declared  it  was  some  the  old  man 
had  left  in  his  kit  from  Klondike.  The  report 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS          131 

that  he  was  trying  to  sell  a  claim  that  never  ex- 
isted, made  folks  shun  him  even  when  they  heard 
he  was  sick. 

"Cold  weather  was  coming  on  and  mother 
would  not  let  me  risk  the  long  ride  to  his  cabin 
so  often,  but  one  warm  Saturday  I  packed  supplies 
and  rode  Noddy  up  there.  I  found  the  poor  man 
unconscioi"",  Patsy  stood  by  the  bunk  licking  the 
limp  hand.  I  looked  about  but  no  food  or  drink 
could  I  see.  I  lifted  his  gray  head  and  tried  to 
make  him  sip  water  from  my  bottle,  but  he  merely 
opened  his  eyes  and  smiled. 

"He  tried  to  take  something  from  under  his 
head  and  I  helped  him.  I  found  a  scrawl  say- 
ing, 'Look  on  Patsy's  collar.' 

"He  tried  to  mumble  and  I  stooped  low  but  he 
relaxed  suddenly  and  seemed  to  shrink.  I  felt 
hh  heart  but  it  was  still.  I  tried  his  eyes  and  they 
were  sightless.  Patsy  sent  up  a  heartrending 
wail  and  crawled  over  behind  his  master's  gun  and 
knapsack,  so  I  knew  my  old  friend  was  dead. 

"I  removed  the  paper  from  Patsy's  collar  and 
saw  my  name  on  it.  Upon  opening  it,  I  found 
the  dear  man  had  left  me  all  his  interests  in  the- 
claim  filed  at  Oak  Creek  offices.  I  tried  to  coax 
Patsy  to  come  with  me,  but  he  would  not  desert 


;i82          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

his  master.  Then  I  placed  water  in  a  dish  and 
gave  the  animal  my  food,  but  he  would  not  eat 
or  drink. 

"I  hurried  home  to  tell  father  and  he  rode  back 
that  same  evening,  to  arrange  for  the  old  man's 
burial.  Jeb  and  John  went  with  him,  and  the 
coroner  from  Oak  Creek,  who  is  a  friend  of  ours. 

"When  they  reached  the  cabin  they  found  faith- 
ful Patsy  stretched  across  his  master's  body  dead 
also.  So  both  old  comrades  were  buried  together, 
although  the  minister  from  over  the  mountain  said 
it  was  a  sin  to  place  both  in  one  grave.  When 
John  told  me,  I  said  I  was  glad  the  two  could 
travel  the  same  trail  together,  for  Old  Man  Mon- 
tresor  had  found  Patsy  his  best  friend  for  ten 
years. 

"We  found  no  clew  to  his  eastern  friends,  and 
when  the  last  will  and  testament  of  Ralph  Mon- 
tresor  was  filed  at  Oak  Creek,  every  one  laughed 
at  us  for  believing  the  fairy-tale  of  a  crazy  man. 
But  I  never  believed  he  was  crazy,  and  I  do  be- 
lieve he  once  discovered  that  gold-mine !" 

"Oh,  Polly!"  wept  Anne  and  Eleanor,  deeply 
affected  by  the  tale,  but  Barbara  plaintively  re- 
marked, "Do  talk  of  something  cheerful!" 

"All  right,  Bob,  I'll  tell  you  something  that 
will  cheer  your  woeful  heart!"  jeered  Eleanor, 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  183 

impatiently.  "I'm  going  to  take  that  Red  Man's 
up-trail,  soon,  and  rediscover  the  mine,  then  I'll 
give  it  to  Polly  for  a  present  for  her  loyalty  to 
Old  Montresor!" 

"Don't  be  silly!  If  you  ever  did  find  a  gold- 
mine you'd  hold  on  to  it,  fast  enough  I"  retorted 
Barbara. 

Eleanor  winked  at  Polly  and  Polly  smiled  grate- 
fully at  her,  but  Anne  broached  another  subject 
to  spare  the  sisters  an  argument. 

The  horses  had  been  jogging  along  a  trail  that 
now  turned  off  to  what  looked  like  a  wide  plain. 

"Here's  the  bridge  I've  been  heading  for,"  said 
Polly.  "From  here  on,  it's  clear  going  to  Lone 
Pine  Blaze." 

"Bridge !  Do  you  call  this  a  bridge,"  laughed 
Eleanor. 

"It's  a  forest  ranger's  bridge.  They  build 
these  over  chasms  and  streams  so  horses  and  men, 
can  quickly  reach  any  part  of  the  forest  when 
there  is  a  fire.  If  they  had  to  ford  swift  streams, 
or  go  round  about,  much  time  would  be  lost." 

The  bridge  in  question  was  made  of  loose  tree- 
trunks  thrown  across  the  river  and  pegged  down 
on  either  side  where  the  erds  rested  upon  the  steep 
banks. 

After  crossing  the  log-bridge,  Polly  led  the  way 


1 84          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

towards  what  seemed  to  be  a  veritable  wilderness 
of  forest.  Giant  pines  thrust  their  green  tops  far 
above  trees  that  would  have  been  considered  land- 
marks in  the  East,  but  were  deemed  quite  ordinary 
m  the  West.  Next  in  height  to  the  commonly- 
sized  pines  came  gigantic  oaks  and  then  the  still 
shorter  aspens  and  lodge-pole  pine. 

"You  never  intend  breaking  through  that  tangle 
of  trees,  I  hope,  Polly!"  cried  Barbara,  who  had 
never  seen  such  a  bewildering  growth  of  forest  in 
her  life. 

"No,  not  this  time !  I'm  making  for  that  pine 
that  you  can  see  way  above  all  of  the  others. 
That  is  Lone  Pine  Blaze,  because  it  bears  the 
blaze  that  shows  the  way  to  the  up-trail !" 

Noddy  must  have  been  a  frequent  traveler  to 
this  tree  for  she  knew  exactly  the  way  to  go  and 
when  she  came  opposite  the  pine  that  bore  the 
blaze,  she  stopped  of  her  own  accord. 

"Now,  wasn't  that  cute  ?"  cried  Eleanor,  riding 
her  burro  directly  behind  Noddy. 

Polly  jumped  from  her  burro's  back  and  went 
over  to  Choko.  She  removed  the  ax  from  the 
pack  and  chopped  a  way  through  the  slender 
undergrowth  which  had  grown  up  that  season. 

"Yes,  here's  the  blaze  as  plain  as  day!     Any 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  185 

of  you  girls  want  to  read  it  for  me?"  laughed 
Polly. 

The  three  curious  girls  jumped  from  their 
mounts  and  pushed  a  way  over  to  the  tree  where 
they  saw  a  queer  mark  made  deep  in  the  tree 
where  the  bark  could  not  over-grow  it. 

"What  does  it  say,  Poll!"  asked  Eleanor. 

"It  means  for  us  to  turn  to  the  left  and  follow 
the  trail  upwards!"  said  Polly,  pointing  to  the 
signs. 

"I  should  think  the  ranchers  would  put  up  sign- 
posts to  guide  travelers!"  said  Barbara. 

"How  long  do  you  suppose  a  post  would  last 
in  2  mild  little  wind-storm  that  uproots  trees  and 
vosses  them  about  like  wisps  of  hay?"  laughed 
Polly. 

"Oh,  Polly!  You  surely  are  making  fun  of 
us !"  said  Eleanor,  doubtfully. 

"No,  indeed,  she  is  not!  In  the  three  months' 
time  I  was  at  the  Cobb  School,  I  saw  some  terrific 
gales  sweep  over  the  country!"  added  Anne. 

But  sign-posts  and  wind-storms  were  forgotten 
for  the  time  when  the  horses  came  out  on  a  strange 
road  they  had  to  travel.  The  wilderness  of  pine 
forest  had  been  left  on  the  right  after  leaving 
Lone  Pine,  and  the  trail  led  down  gradually  to  a 


1 86          POLtT  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

bottomland  of  brilliant  green  herbage.  Directly 
over  this  emerald  valley  ran  a  corduroy  roadway. 

"There  must  have  been  a  brook  under  this  at 
one  time!"  stated  Eleanor,  finding  the  logs  partly 
embedded  in  caked  mud. 

"No,  this  too,  is  built  by  our  forest-rangers  who 
help  the  timber  jacks  build  these  roads.  You  see, 
while  frost  holds  good  the  heaviest  tree  trunks  can 
be  readily  moved  over  icy  swamp  bottoms,  but  in 
the  spring,  when  thaw  and  freshets  begin,  the 
bottoms  are  more  like  a  marsh,  or  shallow  lake, 
than  anything  else  I  know  of.  Then  these  cordu- 
roy roads  are  a  make-shift  for  hard  ground,"  ex- 
plained Polly,  while  Noddy  started  to  clip-clop 
over  the  firmly-set  logs. 

"Why  don't  the  men  wait  for  the  next  frost?" 
asked  Barbara. 

"Koh!  Don't  you  know  the  trees  would  be 
worthless  if  they  were  left  for  a  season?  Decay 
and  mold  or  worms  would  destroy  the  finest  wood. 
Besides,  these  logs,  or  poles,  laid  side  by  side  in 
the  mud,  soon  get  to  be  as  solid  as  a  rock,  for  the 
mud,  oozing  up  between  the  chinks  of  the  logs, 
dries  out  and  leaves  them  baked  tight  in  the 
grooves." 

Having  heard  the  way  this  novel  roadway  was 
made,  the  girls  took  a  lively  interest  in  crossing 


it.  No  more  questions  were  asked  until  Polly 
reached  the  trail  that  led  up  through  the  forest. 
Then  Eleanor  spoke. 

"Polly,  you're  sure  you  know  the  road?" 

"We  can't  go  very  far 'wrong!  If  we  keep  to 
the  trail  we  are  bound  to  come  out  on  the  top — 
somewhere !"  laughed  Polly,  giving  Noddy  her 
head  in  selecting  a  safe  footing  on  the  rough  trail. 

Eleanor,  eager  to  show  how  well  she  could  rid^, 
forced  her  burro  past  Noddy  while  the  latter  was 
making  a  slight  detour  about  a  sage-brush.  She 
turned  partly  around  to  laugh  at  Polly,  when  her 
burro  made  a  sudden  lunge  away  from  the  trail, 
and  at  the  same  time,  a  diamond-backed  rattle- 
snake struck  out  from  its  coil,  reaching  at  least 
two-thirds  the  full  length  of  its  body. 

"Help!  Save  me!"  screamed  Eleanor,  frantic- 
ally, but  the  brave  little  burro  knew  how  to  carry 
his  rider  safely  out  of  the  way  of  the  reptile. 

Polly  saw  the  snake  coil  for  another  strike  at 
Barbara's  horse,  which  had  almost  reached  the 
place  before  Eleanor  screamed.  The  whole  oc- 
currence was  so  unexpected  and  sudden  that 
Barbara  had  not  seen  the  swift  flash  of  cinnamon- 
red  and  dark  diamond-patterned  rattler. 

With  great  presence  of  mind,  Polly  instantly 
pulled  Noddy  up  on  a  mound  of  ground  just  above 


1 88  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

the  reptile,  and  caught  hold  of  a  long  supple 
branch  of  wood.  In  another  instant  she  was 
whipping  the  snake  until  it  could  not  tell  from 
which  direction  the  blows  were  descending — right, 
left,  front  or  back!  In  a  moment  of  indecision, 
the  snake  remained  quiet  and  in  that  second 
Polly  brought  down  her  solid  heel  upon  its  flat 
head. 

The  other  girls  screamed  and  turned  pale  for 
they  thought  Polly  had  fallen  from  her  burro  upon 
the  rattler — so  quick  had  been  her  action.  But 
the  moment  the  daring  girl  looked  up  and  laughed 
at  them,  they  also  jumped  from  their  saddles  and 
ran  up  to  help. 

Polly  made  sure  the  rattler  was  quite  dead, 
then  took  a  forked  stick  and  held  it  up  to  view. 
It  had  beautiful  diamond  markings  of  dark-colors 
on  cinnamon-red  ground.  The  belly  was  of 
creamy  white,  and  the  tail  had  eight  rattles  at- 
tached to  it  by  means  of  a  peculiar  fibrous  ribbon. 
These  rattles  seemed  to  be  of  dry  horny  skin  that 
made  the  buzz-sound  when  shaken.  The  head 
had  been  so  crushed  open  that  Polly  could  easily 
show  the  curious  girls  the  poison-fangs  which 
were  hinged  to  the  upper  jaw. 

"When  a  rattler  intends  to  bite,  its  mouth 
grasps  the  object  and  these  fangs  drop  down  into 


IN  THE  WILDERNESS  189 

the  flesh,  puncturing  tiny  holes  into  which  the 
fatal  poison  flows." 

Polly  described  the  action  of  the  bite  minutely, 
causing  her  hearers  to  shiver  with  dread.  See- 
ing the  effect  her  words  had  made,  she  laughed, 
adding,  "A  snake  does  not  always  bite  clear!  I 
mean,  the  least  thing  keeps  his  teeth  from  driving 
straight  into  the  flesh,  so  that  the  poison  bag  can- 
not empty  its  fluid  under  the  skin.  It  is  often  a 
loose  or  sidewise  bite,  so  that  much  of  the  poison 
never  enters  the  wound.  That  is  why  so  many 
folks  survive  rattle-snake  bites.  If  it  went  clean, 
and  the  poison  bag  was  emptied  under  the  skin, — 
pwhew!" 

Polly  whistled  to  denote  her  sense  of  the  out- 
come of  such  a  bite,  and  Barbara  cried,  "Oh, 
mercy,  Polly!  I  feel  so  sick  after  hearing  you, 
that  I  want  to  go  back  to  Chicago 1" 

Anne  laughed  at  Barbara's  fears,  saying,  "We 
may  not  see  another  rattler  all  summer!" 

"Anyway,  Bob,  you're  perfectly  safe  while  on 
a  horse,  for  they  can  always  tell  when  a  rattler 
is  near  and  they  avoid  it.  A  rattler  will  never  go 
out  of  its  own  course  to  strike — only  biting  when 
one  passes  too  near  it  for  its  safety!"  said  Polly. 

"Well,  that's  some  consolation,  anyway!" 
sighed  Eleanor. 


1 90          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"What  do  you  want  to  do  with  this  snake, 
Poll?"  asked  Anne,  as  the  sisters  climbed  back 
into  their  saddles. 

"Goodness  me!  What  would  she  do  with  it, 
except  to  kick  it  over  into  the  bushes!"  cried 
Barbara. 

"Polly  is  laughing!  She  thinks  you  are  crazy, 
Anne!"  added  Eleanor,  impatiently,  for  she  was 
eager  to  proceed  on  the  trail. 

"Well,  Polly,  I  think  we  will  have  it  skinned 
and  sent  to  Denver  to  be  made  into  an  odd  hand- 
bag for  your  mother!"  suggested  Anne. 

"Oh,  Anne,  how  splendid !  I  wish  I  could  find 
a  snake  skin!"  cried  Eleanor. 

"Yes,  Anne,  I  think  mother  will  love  that!" 
added  Polly,  gratefully,  so  the  rattler  was  moved 
carefully  over  to  a  large  flat  rock  near  the  trail, 
where  they  could  readily  find  it  on  their  way  back. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE 

As  the  adventurers  advanced  up  the  mountain- 
side, the  pines  grew  closer  until  it  was  almost  im- 
possible to  ride  between  the  great  trees  that 
crowded  on  either  side  of  the  faint  trail. 

"Polly,  I  don't  see  how  we  can  go  much 
farther!"  said  Anne,  who  had  never  before  been 
as  high  as  this. 

"Oh,  we  are  only  one-third  of  the  way  up, 
Anne,"  smiled  Polly,  swinging  Noddy  suddenly  to 
one  side  to  avoid  a  bowlder  of  rock  that  had 
rolled  upon  the  trail. 

After  more  arduous  climbing,  the  horses  unex- 
pectedly came  out  into  a  vast  clearing,  called  a 
"park"  by  the  natives.  It  was  acres  in  extent, 
fringed  about  by  the  heavy  close  growth  of  pines. 
The  girls  exclaimed  at  the  beauty  of  the  spot, 
for  wild-mountain  flowers  grew  profusely  among 
the  thick  buffalo  grass. 

"Now,  then,  every  one  of  you  start  at  this  point 
and  hunt  for  the  trail.  I  haven't  been  here  since 

191 


192  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

last  Summer  when  we  went  for  that  trapper  and 
his  pelts.  I  didn't  look  for  the  blaze  then,  but  it 
was  here,  so  we  must  find  it  to  help  us  find  the 
way  out!"  called  Polly,  as  she  guided  Noddy 
slowly  past  the  fringe  of  forest  trees,  looking 
carefully  at  each  tree. 

"Goodness,  Polly!  Do  you  ever  expect  to  find 
^n  opening  in  this  tangle  of  trees?"  asked 
Barbara. 

"We  can  if  Polly  says  there's  one!"  declared 
Anne,  riding  her  horse  carefully  in  the  opposite 
direction  from  Polly. 

Eleanor  permitted  her  burro  to  follow  after 
Polly,  as  she  hadn't  the  slightest  idea  of  what 
the  Maze  or  trail  would  look  like.  Consequently, 
she  was  directly  behind  Polly  when  she  shouted, 
"I've  found  it!" 

The  other  girls  wheeled  their  horses  and  gal- 
loped over  to  the  place  where  Polly  was  swinging 
the  ax  about  her  head. 

With  several  good  whacks,  she  chopped  down 
enough  young  aspens  to  clear  a  way  through  the 
brush,  thus  exposing  to  view  an  old  tree  bearing  a 
blaze  over  twenty  years  old. 

"I'll  show  you  how  to  count  the  age,"  said 
Polly,  beginning  at  the  outer  bark  and  counting  the 
rings  plainly  lined  from  the  new  bark  into  the 


BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE      193 

tree  until  she  reached  the  place  where  the  blaze 
had  been  made. 

"How  interesting!  Then  that  means  this  trail 
was  made  twenty  years  ago  I"  said  Barbara. 

"Maybe  twenty  times  twenty  years  ago,  for  all 
we  know.  Nobody  really  knows  how  old  this 
trail  is,  for  it  was  used  by  the  Indians  as  far  back 
as  the  oldest  trappers  and  hunters  know  and  have 
heard  tell  from  their  fathers  and  grandfathers!" 
replied  Polly,  swinging  into  the  saddle  and  telling 
Noddy  to  proceed. 

The  little  burro  obediently  went  into  the  seem- 
ingly impassable  thicket,  the  other  horses  follow- 
ing. After  they  had  traveled  for  ten  or  fifteen 
yards,  the  undergrowth  thinned  until  they  were 
going  on  pine-needle-covered  ground  as  soft  as 
moss.  The  silent  forest  with  its  sentinel  pines, 
spreading  a  canopy  overhead,  seemed  like  another 
world  from  the  bright  glare  of  the  one  left  be- 
hind that  morning. 

The  trees  were  so  tall  and  majestic,  with  great 
fragrant  green  tops  that  scarcely  allowed  a  sun- 
beam to  penetrate  to  the  pale  green  twilight  under- 
neath, that  a  solemn  peace  pervaded  the  minds 
of  the  young  adventurers.  The  singing  of  birds, 
or  the  crackling  of  dry  twigs,  as  wild  creatures 
sprang  over  them,  were  the  only  sounds  heard. 


194          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

No  shrubs  or  vegetation  obstructed  this  im- 
pressive place,  so  the  girls  rode  on  in  silence,  un- 
til the  trail  ascended  again.  Near  the  confines  of 
this  forest,  Polly  suddenly  reined  in  Noddy  and 
held  out  a  warning  hand.  Right  across  their 
pathway  sped  a  young  deer.  It  paused  by  the 
side  of  a  sheltering  pine-trunk,  with  head  erect  and 
fore-foot  poised  gracefully,  gazing  steadily  at  the 
strange  creatures  who  dared  intrude  upon  those 
sacred  precincts! 

It  as  suddenly  vanished  again,  and  the  girls 
breathed  deeply. 

uOh,  for  our  camera !"  cried  Eleanor. 
"How  stupid  of  us  to  leave  it  home,"  added 
Barbara. 

"It's  always  the  way.  Who  remembers  a  ko- 
dak until  it  is  needed,"  laughed  Anne. 

"John  promised  to  bring  me  a  fine  camera  this 
summer,  but  he  never  came  home  from  college, 
so  I  didn't  get  it,"  said  Polly,  wistfully. 

"Haven't  you  one,  Poll?"  wondered  Eleanor. 
"Not  yet." 

"It's  a  shame — and  you  with  such  wonderful 
ways  to  use  it.  The  moment  we  get  home,  I  shall 
give  you  my  new  one,  and  you  can  give  me  some 
prints  from  it  in  exchange,"  said  Eleanor,  gener- 
ously. 


BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE     195 

"Why,  Eleanor  Maynard!  Yours  is  brand 
new  and  cost  forty  dollars!"  cried  shocked  Bar- 
bara. 

"Of  course  it's  new!  Would  I  give  my  best 
friend  a  second-hand  thing?"  retorted  Eleanor. 

"Oh,  Nolla,  it's  awfully  good  of  you  but  I 
wouldn't  think  of  taking  it!"  exclaimed  Polly, 
gratefully. 

"If  you  don't  I'll  give  it  to  Sary,  and  then  you 
can  look  for  trouble!  She'll  snap  pictures  of 
Jeb  at  dinner,  of  Jeb  at  the  pump,  and  Jeb  here, 
there,  and  everywhere !" 

The  girls  laughed  merrily  at  the  pictures  out- 
lined, and  the  camera  was  forgotten. 

After  climbing  for  two  hours  more,  Noddy 
wrinkled  his  nose  and  twitched  his  sensitive  ears. 

"Noddy  scents  water.  See,  Choko  is  acting  the 
same  way,"  called  Polly;  and  sure  enough  both 
burros  were  making  faces  at  the  sky-line. 

In  a  short  time  the  riders  reached  another 
Park  but  this  one  was  not  half  the  size  of  the  first. 
Instead  of  encircling  forest  trees,  the  girls  saw 
giant  up-thrusts  of  rock  that  cleft  the  blue  sky. 
On  each  side  of  the  widened  trail  stood  lodge- 
pole  pine  that  ran  up  to  the  summit  and  down  the 
other  side  of  the  peak. 

"At  last— Top  Notch  Trail!"  exclaimed  Polly. 


196          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"You  seem  relieved?"  ventured  Anne. 

"I  am,  because  I  half-doubted  whether  I  would 
remember  the  right  route  without  an  older  guide." 

"When  in  doubt  don't  do  anything,"  suggested 
Eleanor. 

"If  we  didn't  do  anything  we  wouldn't  have 
been  up  here,"  argued  Anne. 

"This  trail  runs  straight  to  Grizzly  Slide,  a 
glacial  peak  I've  always  wanted  to  see.  Father 
never  had  time  to  take  me  and  mother  wouldn't 
allow  me  to  find  it  alone.  Explorers  say  it  is  a 
permanent  glacier  that  seldom  changes  its  form 
as  most  of  our  other  snow-capped  peaks  do  in 
summertime." 

"How  I'd  love  to  see  it!"  sighed  Eleanor. 

"It  sounds  as  if  we  were  in  Switzerland  about  Ux 
visit  the  Alps,"  added  Barbara. 

"Have  you  any  plans  for  to-day,  Polly?"  asked 
Anne. 

"Nothing  particular.  I  thought  we  would  try 
for  this  trail  and  have  dinner  up  here,  then  do 
whatever  you  liked  before  starting  for  home." 

"How  long  might  it  take  to  ride  along  the  top 
and  hunt  for  Grizzly  Slide?"  asked  Eleanor 
eagerly. 

"I'm  not  sure  of  the  distance,  although  I  hear 
it  is  four  miles  from  Four  Mile  Blaze.  From 


BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE     197 

here  to  the  blaze  may  be  one  or  ten  miles,  but  the 
going  is  fine  on  this  trail,"  replied  Polly,  eagerly 
showing  her  inclinations. 

"I  simply  won't  consider  going  back  home  yet!" 
declared  Eleanor. 

"We  might  go  on  a  bit  further  before  eating, 
and  then  we  can  see  what  the  trail  is  like.  If  we 
decided  to  try  for  the  Grizzly  Something-or-other 
Poll  mentioned,  I'll  agree,  all  right!"  ventured 
Anne,  the  gleam  of  adventure  shining  in  her 
eyes. 

"I'm  the  only  molly-coddle  in  the  crowd  and  I'd 
like  to  see  more  of  this  mountain,  myself," 
laughed  Barbara. 

"'Nuff  said,'  when  Barbara  talks  like  that!" 
laughed  Eleanor. 

So  they  continued  along  the  crest  of  the  moun- 
tain from  which  grand  views  of  distant  peaks  and 
vast  forest-sides  could  be  seen.  The  brilliant  hues 
of  wild  flowers,  everywhere,  mottled  the  ground; 
the  dark-green  of  towering  pines,  or  again  the 
shorter  aspens  like  pickets  on  guard  in  the  fore- 
ground; the  bleached  skeletons  of  lodge-pole  pine 
burnt  clean  in  forest  fires;  and  just  before  the 
riders,  the  plunging  water  falling  from  a  cliff  that 
shut  out  any  glimpse  of  the  trail  ahead,  combined 
to  produce  a  master-piece  of  Nature's  work. 


198  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Why  not  camp  at  those  Falls  for  dinner?" 
asked  Eleanor. 

"Good  idea — I'm  half-starved,"  admitted 
Anne. 

"And  maybe  the  horses  can  rest,  too,"  from 
Barbara. 

"Bob's  going  to  join  the  S.  P.  C.  A.  soon," 
laughed  Eleanor. 

"No,  I'm  not,  but  horses  will  last  longer  if  you 
feed  and  rest  them,  and  I  do  not  care  to  walk 
home !"  retorted  Barbara. 

"I  brought  my  fishing  tackle,  girls,  and  while 
you  are  unpacking  dinner  I  may  as  well  cast  for 
a  few  trout  in  that  stream,"  suggested  Polly. 

"Can  you  fish  trout?"  exclaimed  Barbara,  won- 
deringly. 

"Can  a  bird  fly?"  laughed  Anne. 

"The  idea !  A  westerner  and  not  know  how 
to  fish  !"  scorned  Eleanor. 

But  Barbara  was  not  sensitive  to-day  so  did  not 
feel  offended  at  these  remarks;  neither  did  she 
take  pains  to  disguise  her  real  sentiments  when  it 
would  have  been  kinder  to  keep  silence  on  a 
subject. 

Having  reached  the  base  of  the  cliff,  the  girls 
found  a  delightful  spot  for  the  luncheon.  The 
packs  were  slipped  from  Choko  and  he,  with  the 


BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE     199; 

other  mounts,  were  hobbled  and  left  to  graze  on 
the  buffalo  grass  in  the  clearing. 

The  girls  unpacked  a  pannier  while  Polly  ar- 
ranged her  tackle  and  started  for  the  top  of  the 
cliff  whence  fell  the  water. 

"Let  me  go  with  you,  Poll,  and  watch?"  asked 
Eleanor. 

"If  you  won't  speak,  and  mind  you  don't  slip 
and  f all !" 

"I  won't,"  promised  Eleanor,  crawling  up  after 
the  sure-footed  Polly  until  both  reached  the  top. 
To  their  surprise,  the  girls  found  a  cleft  be- 
tween two  great  rocks  with  a  quiet  pool  resting 
at  the  base.  The  current  passed,  rushing  onward 
to  the  Falls,  but  the  water  circulating  in  the  nook 
scarcely  rippled.  Even  as  the  two  girls  watched, 
a  flash  of  a  speckled  back  flounced  up  in  play  and 
splashed  their  shoes. 

"What  a  spot  for  trout!"  whispered  Polly, 
crawling  out  to  the  rim  of  a  rock  while  Eleanor 
watched  breathlessly. 

"Not  too  far  out,  Poll!"  whispered  Eleanor, 
anxiously,  as  Polly  leaned  over  the  edge  to  gaze 
into  the  clear  depths. 

Without  a  word,  Polly  carefully  cast  her  fly  far 
out  upon  the  smooth  surface  of  the  sparkling 
water.  Then  flashes  deep  down,  and  in  incredibly 


200          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

short  time  a  large  speckled  trout  rose  to  the  bait, 
and  Polly  felt  her  nerves  tauten  with  the  excite- 
ment of  the  sportsman.  Eleanor  held  her  breath 
for  fear  the  trout  would  disappear. 

Polly  landed  that  one,  weighing  at  least  three 
pounds,  then  caught  two  more,  weighing  about  two 
pounds  each. 

"Guess  these  will  be  enough  for  this  noon.  No 
use  catching  more  than  we  need !"  remarked  Polly, 
coming  back  to  Eleanor's  side. 

The  girls  hastened  down  the  rocks  and  brought 
the  fish  over  to  the  place  where  Polly  expected  to 
find  a  good  fire  burning. 

"Why,  I  don't  see  any  fire — didn't  you  build 
one  for  the  fish?"  cried  Polly. 

"You  didn't  tell  us  to!  Anyway,  what  would 
we  make  it  with — no  matches  and  no  kindlings !" 
replied  Barbara. 

"Can't  you  girls  start  fire  with  flint — or  some 
sticks?"  asked  Polly,  curiously. 

"The  only  fire  I  can  light  is  with  a  safety  match 
and  the  valve  of  a  gas-stove!"  replied  Barbara, 
quaintly. 

The  others  considered  her  remark  very  funny 
and  Polly  promised  to  teach  them  how  to  make  a 
fire  with  two  sticks  only ! 


BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE     20! 

"Do  it  now,  and  fry  the  fish  for  us!"  said 
Eleanor. 

"No,  it  will  be  too  late  for  us  to  begin  all  that 
now.  We  had  better  wait  until  supper-time. 
We  really  ought  to  be  on  the  trail  by  this  time," 
said  Polly. 

"Child  alive!  You  don't  intend  being  out  in 
the  woods  at  supper-time,  do  you?"  gasped  Bar- 
bara, fearfully. 

Polly  laughed.  "Is  that  so  fearful?  Why,  I 
think  it  is  piles  of  fun  to  camp  out  on  a  fine  night!" 

"Maybe  you  do,  but  remember  the  rattle-snake ! 
We  may  be  sleeping  on  the  ground  when  one 
comes  along — Oh,  OH!"  cried  Barbara,  shiver- 
ing. 

"Oh,  come  now,  Bob!  No  use  conjuring  up 
such  gruesome  pictures  to  tickle  your  nerves!" 
exclaimed  Eleanor,  impatiently. 

"If  you  don't  want  to  go  on  to  Grizzly  Slide, 
now's  the  time  to  say  so!  When  we  get  there 
it  will  be  too  late  to  complain  about  the  lateness 
of  the  hour  in  getting  home !"  said  sensible  Polly. 

"Oh,  we  all  want  to  go  to  Grizzly  Slide!"  as- 
serted Anne,  hastily. 

"And  we  will  take  everything  that  comes  with 
it!"  declared  Eleanor,  eagerly. 


202          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Well,  all  right,  but  for  the  love  of  goodness, 
don't  let's  camp  in  the  wilderness  all  night!"  cried 
Barbara. 

They  sat  down  after  that  discussion  and  ate 
the  sandwiches  and  fruit,  but  Polly  wanted  a  piece 
of  the  chocolate  cake  she  thought  Sary  had  packed 
for  them. 

"I  couldn't  find  any!  We  looked  through  and 
found  only  sandwiches  in  the  papers,"  said  Anne. 

"Oh,  pshaw!  I  was  sure  there  was  cake!" 
grumbled  Polly. 

"It  may  possibly  be  in  the  bottom  of  the  other 
pannier,  as  we  didn't  unpack  everything,  you 
know,"  suggested  Barbara. 

"If  it  is,  we'll  eat  it  to-night  for  supper.  At 
least  we  know  Sary  packed  something  good  for 
us,"  added  Anne. 

Once  more  on  the  trail,  the  adventurers  rode 
through  forests  where  the  notes  of  unseen  birds 
blending  with  the  murmur  of  pines  sounded  like 
weird  music  to  the  city  girls. 

"Just  like  the  sea's  roar  in  a  conch-shell,  isn't 
it?"  whispered  Anne,  as  she  listened  raptur- 
ously. 

They  passed  tumbling,  hurrying  mountain 
streams  where  the  burnished  trout  flashed  swiftly 
back  and  forth  in  the  clear  water.  They  came 


BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE     203 

to  an  upland  park  where  the  soft  whistle  of  quail 
caused  Polly  to  lift  her  rifle,  but  the  whir  of 
wings  told  of  a  flight.  From  jagged  rents  in  the 
cliffs,  through  which  the  horses  passed,  their  hoofs 
ringing  echoes  from  the  iron-veined  rock,  they 
came  to  sleepy  hollows  where  the  Quaker  Aspens 
stood  ghostlike  as  sentinels  on  guard  before  their 
beautiful  Eden. 

Having  climbed  one  peak  and  descended  it, 
then  the  next  one,  and  so  on,  and  on,  following 
the  winding  trail  that  became  more  difficult  to 
find  and  more  dangerous  to  climb,  Polly  finally 
drew  rein  beside  a  tree  distinctly  scarred. 

"Hurrah!  The  blaze  to  the  Slide,"  shouted 
she,  scraping  away  the  lichen  that  covered  the 
spot. 

Glad  of  an  excuse  to  jump  down  and  stretch 
their  limbs,  the  other  girls  joined  Polly  at  the 
tree  and  saw  the  blaze,  although  so  old,  to  be 
perfectly  plain  and  easily  traced. 

"Four  miles  to  Grizzly  Slide !"  read  Polly,  ex- 
ultantly. 

"But  it  must  be  three  o'clock  or  more.  When 
can  we  hope  to  get  back  home?"  murmured  Bar- 
bara, glancing  down  the  trail  they  just  left. 

"Too  late  to  worry  about  that  now,"  said 
Eleanor. 


204          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"I  plan  to  see  Grizzly  Slide  and  then  camp, 
somewhere,"  said  Polly. 

"That  is  the  best  thing,  now,"  added  Anne. 

"You  don't  mean  to  sleep  out  in  this  awful 
wilderness,  do  you?"  gasped  Barbara. 

"No,  we're  going  to  engage  a  suite  of  rooms 
at  the  'Queen  Victoria'  for  to-night!"  jeered 
Eleanor. 

"I  hope  to  reach  the  Slide  and  ride  back  to 
those  Falls  for  camp.  We  have  fish  and  pasture 
and  soft  moss  there,"  said  Polly. 

"Ideal  place,  too,"  approved  Anne. 

"But  the  wild  beasts,  and,  oh,  suppose  a  rattler 
comes  along  while  we  are  asleep?"  almost  sobbed 
Barbara. 

"He'll  steer  clear  of  you,  Bob!"  retorted 
Eleanor. 

"Come  on,  girls,  don't  waste  time  arguing,  or 
we'll  camp  on  top  of  the  peak,  yonder,"  laughed 
Polly,  jumping  back  into  her  saddle  and  urging 
Noddy  along  the  way. 

Although  Grizzly  Slide  was  but  four  miles  from 

the  blaze,  the  trail  was  so  rough  that  the  horses 

,  had  to  go  slowly.     Too,  the  rarefied  air  strained 

'the  animals'   hearts   and  Polly  advised  frequent 

halts  to  rest  the  heavily  breathing  beasts. 


BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE     205 

During  those  four  miles,  the  trail  often  opened 
from  the  heavy  timber  and  gave  a  glimpse  of  far- 
off  valleys,  and  dreadfully  nearby  abysses  that 
made  one  feel  that  one  was  on  top  of  the  world. 
Even  the  pines  in  the  nearer  crests  and  clefts 
looked  like  wisps  of  green — so  small  they  ap- 
peared from  the  tremendous  height. 

The  trail  finally  led  through  a  thick  forest  of 
lodge-pole  pine  that  looked  interminable,  but  sud  • 
denly  ended  at  a  line  as  if  it  had  been  purposely 
cleared  away.  The  riders  all  sat  in  silent  awe  at 
the  sight  before  them.  They  had  reached  Grizzly 
Slide ! 

The  snow-capped  peak,  reaching  an  altitude, 
from  the  clearing  where  they  stood,  of  at  least  a 
thousand  feet  sheer  up,  dazzled  their  eyes  in  the 
bright  sunshine.  To  the  left  of  the  peak,  the  sides 
dropped  down  almost  perpendicularly  to  the  level 
floor  of  a  valley  many  thousand  feet  below.  To 
the  right,  the  snow-fields  stretched  across  a  vast 
area  before  any  timber  could  be  seen  on  the  down- 
ward slope. 

The  snow  of  the  Slide  was  continually  melting 
in  summer  and  furnishing  icy  streams  that  cut 
through  in  every  direction  to  reach  the  vales  far 
down.  The  temperature  was  almost  at  freezing 


2o6          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

point  near  the  peak,  and  the  girls  quickly  donned 
their  sweaters  which  had  been  packed  in  Choko's 
panniers. 

In  removing  the  sweaters,  Polly  accidentally 
pulled  out  a  heavy  coil  of  rope,  but  hung  it  back 
on  one  of  the  knobs  of  Choko's  harness  instead 
of  buckling  it  inside  the  pocket.  Well  she  did, 
too. 

"Come  on,  girls,  I  want  to  see  what  that  blue 
line  is  over  on  the  ice-field,"  said  Polly,  starting 
up  the  Slide. 

The  horses  were  sharp-shod  and  sure-footed, 
so  the  girls  rode  as  safely  as  if  on  the  mossy  trail, 
but  they  had  not  gone  far  before  Polly  began 
murmuring  to  herself. 

"What's  the  matter?"  wondered  Anne,  aloud. 

"That  blue  line  looks  to  me  like  a  crevice  in  the 
ice." 

"What  of  that?"  asked  Barbara,  stupidly. 

"That  shows  something  queer !  This  slide  sel- 
dom cracks  into  fissures,  but  when  it  does  it  means 
trouble.  If  that  crevice  goes  down  very  deep 
it  shows  unusual  warmth  underneath.  And  that 
may  move  this  upper  section  of  ice-field  any  time, 
thus  creating  an  awful  land-slide,  don't  you  see?" 

"Oh,  mercy!  Let's  hurry  back!"  cried  Bar- 
bara, wheeling  her  horse  immediately. 


BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE     20? 

"It  isn't  likely  to  occur  as  quickly  as  that,  Bob," 
said  Anne,  soothingly.  Then  turning  to  Polly, 
said:  "But  this  slide  is  said  to  be  stationary." 

"It  has  moved,  but  so  seldom  that  folks  never 
fear  it.  I  know  something  about  land-slides  after 
living  in  Pebbly  Pit  for  fourteen  years,  and  even 
a  little  slide  at  the  lava  cliffs  causes  an  awful  de- 
struction, so  I  can  picture  what  this  gigantic  slide 
would  do  if  it  ever  got  started  down  1" 

"You  said  it  happened  when  Montresor's  Mine 
was  buried?"  reminded  Eleanor. 

"Yes,  a  small  one  then,  and  it  may  happen 
again,  so  we  won't  stay  another  moment,"  begged 
Barbara,  from  a  distance. 

"It's  all  right  at  present,  Bob,  and  I'm  going 
to  see  if  the  chasm  runs  along  very  far,"  returned 
Polly,  riding  Noddy  away  from  the  girls. 

Anne  and  Eleanor  watched  the  blinding  peak 
where  clouds  drifted  lazily  about  so  that  the  top 
of  the  crest  was  visible  only  now  and  then.  At 
such  times,  the  sun  flashed  upon  the  ice  and  re- 
flected myriad  colors  as  in  a  rainbow. 

"Isn't  it  just  beautiful!"  sighed  Anne. 

"As  wonderful  and  beautiful  as  his  Satanic 
Majesty!"  declared  Eleanor,  but  she  anxiously 
watched  Polly  ride  along  the  brink  of  the  fis- 
sure. 


2o8          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Oh,  girls !  Won't  you  please  come  home !  I 
won't  be  easy  till  my  horse  is  traveling  that  cordu- 
roy road  again !"  wailed  Barbara. 

The  others  laughed.  "You  complained  about 
that  when  we  crossed  it.  The  time  may  come 
when  you'd  be  glad  to  be  standing  on  Grizzly 
Slide — after  it  has  slid!"  teased  Eleanor. 

"Now  I'm  going  back!  So  there!"  threatened 
Barbara,  but  she  remained  exactly  where  she  was, 
for  she  feared  to  go  back  alone. 

"Well,  it  looks  as  if  we  would  have  to  return 
unrewarded.  I  can't  find  a  place  safe  enough  to 
cross  to  the  peak,  and  the  crevice  seems  to  run  all 
the  way  across  and  deep  down,  too,"  said  Polly, 
coming  back  to  join  Anne  and  Eleanor. 

"Now  will  you  come  back?"  nagged  Barbara, 
desperately. 

"In  a  minute !  We  want  to  watch  those  rain- 
bow-tinted clouds — they  are  so  beautiful !"  sighed 
Anne. 

But  even  as  she  spoke,  the  fleecy  clouds  of 
snowy  white  changed  quickly  to  gray.  From  gray 
they  turned  to  dark  ominous-looking  colors,  and 
Polly  hastily  glanced  at  the  sun. 

"Let's  ride  back  at  once !"  said  she  shortly. 

Noddy  was  turned  and  urged  to  lead  off  as  fast 
as  possible,  but  Polly  turned  every  few  moments 


NODDY  LED  THE  WAY  TO  THE  TIMBER  AS  THE  BLIZZARD 

BEGAN  ANEW.! 
Polly  of  Pebbly  PH.  Page  213 


BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE     209 

to  watch  the  clouds  now  gathering  in  somber 
banks  and  falling  down  over  the  Slide. 

"Girls,  make  more  haste!"  ordered  she. 

"What's  the  matter,  Poll?"  called  Anne,  who 
was  in  the  rear. 

"I  want  to  get  you-all  to  the  timber  line  just  as 
fast  as  we  can  travel.  Don't  waste  breath  talk- 
ing— just  ride!"  cried  Polly,  fearfully. 

"I  told  you  to  come  home.  I  knew  something 
terrible  would  happen  up  here !"  wailed  Barbara, 
trying  to  push  her  horse,  by  leaning  far  over  his 
neck. 

"Yes,  you  always  were  a  Calamity  Jane.  If 
we'd  left  you  down  with  the  rattle-snake  we 
wouldn't  have  been  so  hoo-dooed!"  cried  Eleanor, 
in  her  nervousness. 

"Noddy,  dear,  won't  you  go  faster?  We  must 
set  a  better  pace  for  the  others,  you  see,  pet!" 
said  Polly  to  her  little  burro. 

Apparently  Noddy  understood  the  need  of  a 
brisker  step,  for  she  started  so  that  she  soon  out- 
distanced the  others  and  Polly  had  to  wait  for 
them.  As  she  waited  impatiently,  she  watched 
the  clouds  sweeping  down  and  along  over  the 
ice-fields.  Then  she  remembered  the  rope  hung 
on  Choko's  collar.  She  jumped  off,  grabbed  it, 
and  soon  had  Choko  securely  fastened  to  the  end 


210          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

of  the  rope.  Another  loop  was  fastened  to 
Noddy's  collar.  As  the  others  rode  up  she  tied 
a  loop  to  each  mount  so  that  a  chain  was  made 
of  the  five  animals. 

"Is  it  a  blizzard  or  a  tornado,  Poll?"  gasped 
Anne. 

"Don't  know !    Just  race  on  as  fast  as  you  can !" 

Then  as  they  hurried  across  the  icy  slope,  the 
sun  seemed  suddenly  quenched  and  the  daylight 
turned  to  sodden  drab.  Heavy  drifts  of  snow 
could  be  seen  falling  headlong  from  the  clouds 
hanging  about  the  peak,  making  a  wonderful  if 
awesome  sight. 

"Girls,  our  lives  are  in  jeopardy  unless  we 
reach  the  timber  belt!"  shouted  Polly,  trying  to 
outcry  the  wind  that  shrieked  down  the  Slide. 

Noddy,  brave  little  burro,  quivered  in  dread 
of  the  elements  sweeping  about  them,  but  she  re- 
sponded to  Polly's  call  and  fairly  dragged  the 
trembling  Choko  after  her. 

The  hurricane  was  now  screaming  about  the 
peak  and  howling  horribly  through  the  fissures 
in  the  ice.  As  the  blizzard  gathered  fury  and 
strength,  the  clouds,  like  rags  torn  from  the  sky, 
raged  past  the  riders,  every  now  and  then  sweep- 
ing the  snow  completely  over  them.  Still  the  fulT 
fury  of  the  gale  had  not  yet  appeared. 


BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE     211 

Polly  stopped  momentarily  and  yelled  back  her 
orders:  "Every  one  grab  hold  on  the  tail  of  the 
horse  in  front  of  you !" 

They  comprehended  the  sense  of  this  advice, 
but  could  not  manage  to  act  upon  it,  as  the  drifts 
of  snow  and  ice  made  it  impossible  to  jump  from 
the  saddle,  or  lean  over  to  hold  to  anything. 

By  this  time,  everything  was  hidden  from  sight 
and  even  the  foremost  rider  looked  ghostlike  in 
the  gray  light  and  snow.  The  trail  was  obliter- 
ated by  the  drifts  and  the  going  was  slippery  and 
slow. 

"We've  simply  got  to  make  that  timber,  girls!" 
shouted  Polly,  more  to  encourage  than  to  urge,  as 
she  knew  the  beasts  were  doing  their  utmost. 

The  three  other  girls,  too  cold  and  frightened 
to  speak,  clung  to  their  animals  hopelessly.  Noddy 
seemed  imbued  with  supernatural  powers,  for  she 
never  made  a  miss-step  or  swerved  from  the  trail, 
although  it  was  invisible.  This  instinct  of  scent, 
so  marvelous  in  these  little  burros,  proved  the 
salvation  of  the  adventurers. 

Then  darkness  fell  completely  and  the  storm 
broke  loose  in  its  fierce  madness,  so  confusing  the 
chain  of  horses  that  they  stamped  and  turned 
until  the  rope  was  so  tangled  that  the  riders  were 
threatened  with  being  thrown.  Even  in  that  awful 


212          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

moment,  Polly  was  glad  she  tied  the  beasts  to- 
gether, for  surely  one  or  another  of  them  would 
have  bolted  or  strayed  to  doom  with  its  rider. 

Noddy  seemed  the  only  animal  to  keep  her 
sense.  As  the  other  horses  snorted  and  wheeled, 
Polly  cried  desperately: 

"Noddy,  Noddy !    Can't  you  help  us  out  ?" 

With  a  tremendous  spurt  of  strength  the  little 
burro  pulled  herself  free  from  the  tangle,  drag- 
ging Choko  along,  too.  The  other  horses  soon 
calmed  down  again  and  followed  in  the  wake. 

A  glassy  surface  had  formed  over  everything, 
so  that  a  slip  would  prove  extremely  dangerous 
on  that  steep  slide,  but  Noddy  plodded  along  as 
if  she  knew  that  the  responsibility  of  all  depended 
upon  her  accuracy  in  trailing.  The  girls  had  to 
trust  blindly  to  the  burro's  sixth  sense,  as  no  one 
could  see  whether  a  yawning  chasm  or  a  rocky 
projection  was  directly  before  them. 

"Polly,  I'm  falling!  I  can't  stick  on  another 
moment!"  cried  Anne,  her  voice  reaching  Polly, 
as  the  wind  blew  in  that  direction. 

"Anne  Stewart — you  must!  We're  right  at  the 
timber-line  now,  and  I'd  be  ashamed  to  say  you 
gave  in  before  Barbara!"  shrilled  Polly,  to  give 
her  friend  new  endurance. 


BLIZZARD  ON  GRIZZLY  SLIDE     213 

"I'm  all  in,  too !"  wailed  the  plaintive  voice  of 
Eleanor. 

"Oh,  dear  God,  tell  me  what  to  do?"  screamed 
Polly,  as  if  she  must  make  the  Almighty  hear  and 
help. 

Just  as  all  seemed  at  its  worst,  the  wind  sud- 
denly died  down,  and  the  gloomy  mantle  of  dark- 
ness lifted  perceptibly.  Polly  felt  sure  the  cessa- 
tion of  wind  and  sleet  was  but  a  lull  before  a  sec- 
ond and  worse  cloud-sweep,  but  she  made  the  most 
of  the  interval. 

"One  more  step,  girls,  and  we  are  safe !  Keep 
up  courage!" 

To  Noddy  she  crooned  anxiously:  "Now  or 
never  again,  little  one!" 

Noddy  turned  momentarily  to  look  into  her 
beloved  mistress's  eyes  as  if  to  plead  for  breath 
and  a  moment's  rest,  and  then  she  responded  to 
the  call  of  necessity  and  led  the  staggering  line 
to  the  timber  just  as  the  gale  began  anew. 

It  was  darker  in  the  forest  of  lodge-pole  pine 
than  out  on  the  ice-field,  but  the  timber  offered 
comparative  refuge  from  the  driving  sleet  and 
wind.  Another  difficulty  presented  itself,  how- 
ever, in  the  close  growth  of  trees.  To  avoid 
collision  with  the  crowded  trunks,  it  became  neces- 


2i4          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

sary  to  undo  the  rope  that  held  the  five  beasts  to* 
gether.  Each  was  thus  allowed  to  roam  his  own 
way,  and  this  was  the  more  hazardous,  as  the  hur- 
ricane ofttimes  tore  up  a  smaller  pine  and,  twist- 
ing it  about  like  a  cork-screw,  flung  it  down  like 
a  straw. 

Noddy  seemed  possessed  to  travel  in  a  certain 
direction,  so  Polly,  sure  of  a  burro's  instinct  for 
shelter  and  refuge,  gave  her  her  head.  Eleanor's 
burro  also  seemed  anxious  to  go  in  the  same  direc- 
tion Noddy  took,  and  followed  in  her  footsteps. 
But  Choko,  freed  from  the  detaining  rope  and 
not  so  worn  by  battling  the  gale  with  a  rider  to 
carry,  made  for  a  spot  to  the  right  of  Noddy. 

Suddenly  Eleanor  screamed  and  pointed  at 
Choko.  "Oh,  look  quick!  Choko!  Choko!" 

Even  as  she  cried,  Choko  was  seen  frantically 
scrambling  on  the  verge  of  a  cliff,  and  suddenly 
vanished  over  its  side. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

A  NIGHT  IN  THE  CAVE 

"On,  my  little  Choko !"  sobbed  Polly,  quickly 
turning  Noddy  to  go  down  to  the  edge  of  the 
precipice  where  the  burro  had  slipped  over  and 
down. 

"Now  we  haven't  a  thing  to  eat,  and  no  blankets 
for  the  night!  I  knew  this  was  a  foolish  outing," 
complained  Barbara. 

Eleanor  failed  to  hear  her  sister's  selfish  re- 
mark, for  she  was  driving  her  burro  closely  upon 
Noddy's  heels.  Anne  was  so  impatient  at  Bar- 
bara that  she  urged  her  horse  after  Eleanor  to 
keep  herself  busy. 

"Good  gracious!  Am  I  to  sit  here  alone  and 
freeze  I  I'm  sure  I'm  not  such  a  fool  as  to  have 
the  same  thing  happen  to  me  as  it  did  to  Choko," 
cried  Barbara,  but  the  wind  carried  her  words 
back  to  Grizzly  Slide. 

Polly  slid  from  her  saddle  and  stretched  out 
flat  upon  the  brink  to  peer  over  the  edge  for  a 

215 


216          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

possible  sight  of  the  burro.  As  she  did  so,  she 
saw  a  mass  of  baggage  and  burro  scramble  up- 
right and  shake  itself  violently.  Then  a  plaintive 
whinny  rose  up  to  welcome  the  fearful  girls. 

"Whoa!  Whoa,  Choko!"  shouted  Polly,  in- 
stantly. 

Jumping  up,  she  called  to  Eleanor:  "Choko  fell 
upon  a  ledge,  but  there's  a  great  hole  behind  him 
and  should  he  back  he  will  surely  fall  in  and  be 
lost.  I'm  going  down  to  lead  him  out!" 

"Oh,  Polly,  don't  risk  your  precious  life  for  a 
burro!"  screamed  Barbara,  hysterically. 

"If  Noddy  can  creep  down,  I'll  save  Choko 
without  risk  to  myself,"  declared  Polly,  climbing 
in  the  saddle. 

"If  Polly  goes,  I  go  too!"  exclaimed  Eleanor, 
turning  her  burro  to  follow  Noddy. 

"Don't  you  dare!  Nolla — think  of  mother 
grieving  for  you,  and  me  left  alone  in  Colorado, 
helpless!"  cried  Barbara. 

"Now  I'm  going,  anyway !  I'd  like  mother  to 
appreciate  me,"  was  Eleanor's  unexpected  reply, 
but  Anne  caught  an  undaunted  look  in  the  girl's 
eyes. 

The  combined  persuasions  of  Barbara  and 
Anne  had  no  effect  on  Eleanor,  who,  truth  to  tell, 
exulted  in  this  daring  feat  and  would  not  have 


A  NIGHT  IN  THE  CAVE         217 

missed  the  thrill  for  anything.  But  her  burro 
balked  at  the  point  where  Noddy  began  the  de- 
scent. 

Noddy  was  making  for  a  place  where  the  ledge 
met  the  downward  slope  of  the  mountain-side. 
The  burro  felt  about  for  sure  footing  and  then 
took  a  step  forward.  Prodding  carefully  againw 
she  took  the  next  step,  and  so  on.  Sometimes, 
feeling  suspiciously,  she  would  essay  a  step  and  as 
suddenly  bring  back  her  hoof  before  breaking 
into  the  pit.  Thus  taking  one  assured  step  after 
another,  she  finally  reached  the  beginning  of  the 
ledge  where  Choko  had  landed. 

Upon  the  mountain-side  where  the  frozen  girls 
and  beasts  trembled,  the  wind  howled  and  the 
blizzard  swept  along  between  the  trunk  of  trees, 
but  on  the  ledge  Polly  found  comparative  shelter 
and  only  now  and  then  a  blast  of  the  gale. 

She  stopped  to  beckon  to  Eleanor  and  then 
urged  Noddy  along  the  foothold  cleft  from  the 
cliff.  Above,  the  rock-wall  rose  to  the  mountain- 
top;  beneath,  Polly  could  not  gauge  the  depth — 
it  was  too  dreadful  and  was  now  blurred  by  fine 
drifts  from  the  blizzard. 

After  what  seemed  an  age,  Polly  reached 
Choko,  who  still  stood  obedient  to  his  mistress's 
command  of  "Whoa."  But  he  shook  and  seemed 


218          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

completely  broken  up  with  fear  and  the  shock  of 
the  fall. 

"Dear  little  Choko!"  purred  Polly,  jumping 
from  Noddy's  back  and  softly  patting  the  burro's 
woolly  face. 

The  burro  affectionately  nosed  Polly,  who 
gazed  quickly  at  what  she  thought  to  be  a  pit 
back  of  the  little  beast.  She  gasped  in  wonder- 
ment and  went  to  the  dark  hole.  Then  she  quickly 
ran  back  and  took  hold  of  Noddy's  and  Choko's 
bridles.  Standing  thus,  she  shouted  to  the  anx- 
ious girls  above: 

"Come  down  as  carefully  as  I  did  and  here 
you  will  find  a  cave."  With  that  she  disappeared 
into  the  yawning  black  hole,  leading  both  burros. 

Barbara  and  Anne  stared  at  each  other  in 
amazement,  and  the  latter  said:  "Come  carefully! 
Anything  is  better  than  freezing  here." 

Eleanor  had  already  reached  the  ledge,  when 
Polly  came  forth  from  the  cavern  to  shout  out 
advices.  The  two  older  girls  made  the  perilous 
descent  safely,  and  then  guided  their  horses  along 
the  ledge  until  all  stood  before  the  cave  where  the 
burros  were  waiting. 

"Isn't  this  a  miracle?"  cried  Polly,  the  moment 
all  were  safe  and  the  poor  beasts  were  being  led 
inside  the  refuge. 


A  NIGHT  IN  THE  CAVE         219 

The  girls  laughed  and  cried  hysterically  when 
they  saw  the  haven,  but  the  animals  seemed  un- 
easy, and  Noddy  came  up  to  Polly  with  fear  ap- 
parent in  her  expressive  eyes. 

"Noddy,  are  you  frightened?  Surely  no  wild 
beast  can  be  in  here,  at  present?"  queried  Polly, 
looking  around  in  the  semi-gloom. 

"Polly!  What  can  it  be?"  shrieked  Barbara, 
clinging  to  Anne  in  fear. 

"Better  get  out  again,  Polly,"  suggested  Elea- 
nor, seeing  the  horses  paw  the  floor,  and  strain 
their  eyes  to  see. 

"Are  we  safe  here,  Polly  dear?"  asked  Anne. 

"Safer  here  than  up  there,"  returned  Polly,  and 
as  she  spoke  a  great  tree  was  flung  down  over  the 
edge  of  the  gorge  just  where  ledge  and  slope 
met. 

"Now  we  can't  crawl  out  if  we  wanted  to — the 
tree  obstructs  the  way,"  declared  Polly,  decidedly. 

"But  we  must  see  what  it  is  that  disturbs  the 
animals,"  advised  Anne. 

"I'd  rather  throw  myself  over  the  cliff  than  be 
clawed  to  bits  by  a  panther !"  wailed  Barbara. 

"The  horses  are  quieting  down  now,  and  Noddy 
seems  as  much  at  home  as  anywhere,  so  I  reckon 
it  was  only  strangeness  that  made  them  act  queer," 
said  Eleanor. 


220          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"But  something  may  pounce  out  upon  us,  and 
take  us  unawares!"  wailed  Barbara. 

"I  propose  to  smoke  them  out  as  soon,  as  I  make 
a  fire !"  said  Polly,  looking  about  in  the  darkness 
of  the  cave  for  a  possible  stick  of  wood,  but  not 
finding  any. 

"I'll  have  to  chop  some  of  that  pine!  Noddy 
can  carry  me  safer  than  I  can  walk  on  this  ledge, 
so  I  want  you  girls  to  promise  to  keep  the  horses 
close  about  you  and  wait  right  here  until  I  get 
back!"  said  Polly,  taking  the  ax  from  the  pack. 

"Polly,  I'm  coming  too !  Two  axes  are  better 
than  one,  and  I  can  ride  my  burro,  too !"  declared 
Eleanor. 

Anne  and  Polly  sent  the  girl  a  look  of  gratitude, 
while  Barbara  was  speechless  until  after  Eleanor 
started  to  go,  then  she  remonstrated  volubly. 

The  two  girls  crept  toward  the  down-thrown 
pine,  and  Eleanor  said,  "We'll  need  wood  for  a 
fire,  won't  we?" 

"Yes,  we  will  have  to  remain  in  the  cave  all 
night,  and  it  gets  so  terribly  cold  upon  these 
^mountain  peaks  that  we  will  be  frozen  unless  we 
warm  up  the  interior  of  the  cavern.  Then,  too, 
we  may  need  to  keep  fires  going  at  the  back  end 
of  the  cave  as  well  as  in  front,  to  ward  off  wild 
beasts!" 


221 

They  were  slowly  advancing  when  another 
awful  crash  came  from  the  slope  above.  Both 
girls  ducked  instinctively,  but  the  decayed  pine  that 
was  broken  off  above  ground  fell  over  the  edge 
of  the  cliff  just  in  front  of  them  and  obstructed 
the- way  so  that  progress  was  impossible. 

Eleanor  quaked  and  cried,  "Oh,  let's  go  back, 
Polly!" 

But  Polly  laughed.  "Glory  be,  our  fire-wood 
came  to  us  halfway." 

At  her  cheerful  words,  Eleanor  braced  up 
again. 

Polly  jumped  from  Noddy's  back  and  started 
to  hew  at  the  soft  decayed  wood.  It  was  easy 
to  chop  and  would  furnish  a  flaring  fire,  even 
though  it  would  burn  rapidly  and  need  constant 
replenishing. 

"Nolla,  this  is  the  second  miracle  to-day!  Had 
we  hunted  the  mountain  over,  no  better  wood 
could  have  been  found  for  just  our  need.  Yonder 
on  that  other  pine,  when  this  is  out  of  our  way, 
awaits  our  bedding." 

"What  funny  bedding!" 

"Just  you  wait  and  see." 

When  enough  wood  was  chopped  to  clear  a 
way  on  the  ledge,  Polly  showed  Eleanor  how  to 
make  bundles  of  it.  These  were  tied  by  means 


222          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

of  the  rope  to  Noddy's  harness  and  carefully 
dragged  back  to  the  cave.  Several  trips  had  to 
be  made  before  both  burros  had  brought  the  fire- 
wood to  the  growing  pile  in  the  cave. 

When  Polly  spoke  of  cutting  balsam  for  beds, 
Anne  offered  to  help,  as  she  was  so  cold. 

"And  leave  me  here  alone?"  cried  Barbara. 

"Why  don't  you  come  with  us?"  asked  Eleanor. 

"I'm  dead!     I  can't  do  another  thing!" 

"Then  stay  here  and  cheer  the  burros,"  said 
Eleanor. 

"I  won't  let  every  one  of  you  go  and  leave  me 
to  be  killed  by  a  wild  animal,"  shuddered  Bar- 
bara, looking  over  her  shoulder. 

"Nothing  wild  here,  but  you,  Bob.  However, 
you  may  light  a  fire  for  us,  while  we  are  gone," 
retorted  Eleanor,  unsympathetically. 

Without  further  comment,  Barbara  was  left, 
and  soon  the  girls  were  stripping  the  spruce  which 
had  blown  over  the  ledge.  Its  green  branches 
would  make  the  softest  of  wild-wood  beds. 

"It  really  was  fortunate  that  both  these  trees 
came  down  when  they  did!  We  would  have  to 
remove  them  as  obstacles  to,  our.  going  out  in  the 
morning,  and  I  would  have  had  to  hunt  well  be- 
fore I  couH  have  found  such  fine  tinder !  So  I've 
really  saved  myself  a  double  chopping!"  said 


A  NIGHT  IN  THE  CAVE          223 

Polly,  as  they  tied  up  the  last  bundle  of  evergreen 
branches  and  started  the  burros  for  the  cave. 

"I'm  just  frozen,  and  I  wish  you  would  hurry 
and  build  a  fire!"  cried  Barbara,  petulantly,  when 
the  girls  came  within  hearing. 

No  one  replied,  but  Eleanor  was  furious,  while 
the  others  were  impatient  with  the  girl. 

"I  wa-s  so  hungry  that  I  tried  to  get  a  sandwich 
out  of  the  pannier,  but  something  made  a  noise 
back  in  the  cave,  and  I'm  sure  it  was  a  rattle- 
snake buzzing!"  added  Barbara,  trying  to  win 
sympathy  from  the  stony-faced  companions. 

"Pooh!  You've  got  ratde-snake  on  the  brain! 
It  would  have  done  you  good  to  get  out  there 
with  us  and  do  some  rattling  of  the  ax  on  the 
wood!" 

"Why,  Nolla !  How  unkind  you  are  since  we 
came  to  this  awful  country!"  cried  Barbara,  not 
able  to  find  a  handkerchief,  and  sniffing  audibly. 

"Here !  Use  this  to  amuse  yourself  with  while 
we  work!"  said  Eleanor,  taking  a  neatly  folded 
handkerchief  from  her  coat  pocket. 

When  Eleanor  turned  again  to  the  others,  she 
found  Anne  had  unharnessed  the  burros  and  piled 
the  saddles  upon  a  stone  projection  near  the  open- 
ing of  the  cave. 

There   were   numerous  little   finger-like   caves 


224          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

that  branched  out  from  the  main  cave,  but  they  led 
nowhere  and  seemed  empty.  Polly  noticed  that 
the  dry  leaves  and  loose  shale  scattered  about 
appeared  to  have  been  undisturbed  for  months. 
Some  of  the  leaves  were  from  the  harvest  of  the 
previous  fall,  so  she  felt  sure  no  beast  had  prowled 
about  the  "fingers." 

Coming  to  a  much  larger  extension  than  any 
of  the  others  had  been,  Polly  called  out:  "This 
must  be  the  thumb  of  the  hand !" 

"Sure  it  isn't  the  arm!"  laughed  Eleanor. 

"Ah,  I  thought  so — now  I  have  it!"  murmured 
Polly,  finding  a  nest  of  leaves  and  soft  feathers 
packed  down  with  bits  of  fur  and  dry  grass. 

"What  have  you  found?"  eagerly  asked  three 
voices. 

"The  lair  of  a  grizzly.  I've  got  him!"  cried 
Polly,  triumphantly. 

Instantly,  three  girls  screamed  and  turned  to 
run,  and  Polly  laughed. 

"I've  got  him  on  the  outside,  girls !  He  can't 
get  in  with  that  fire  smoking  his  front  doorway, 
you  see." 

"Oh,  hurry  back  and  pile  more  wood  on  the 
fire !"  cried  Eleanor,  quaking  with  fear. 

"Yes,  yes,  Polly!  Come  away  and  let's  build 
more  fires!"  added  Barbara,  not  knowing  which 


A  NIGHT  IN  THE  CAVE          225 

one  of  the  girls  to  hide  behind,  and  looking  at  the 
horses  as  if  pondering  a  refuge  with  them. 

"What!  And  use  all  of  our  'safety  first'  be- 
fore dawn!  If  you  waste  the  wood  now,  what 
will  you  do  when  old  grizzly  comes  prowling  home 
and  finds  your  fires  dying  down?"  said  Polly. 

"Well,  do  have  one  of  us  go  and  tend  the  fire 
carefully  so  it  can't  possibly  die  down  and  let  him 
in!"  added  Anne. 

"We  are  almost  through  exploring,  so  we  may 
as  well  finish!  Then  we  will  all  go  and  have 
supper  and  feed  the  animals." 

The  remainder  of  the  cave  proved  to  be  a 
rocky  wall  gradually  sloping  down  until  it  reached 
the  entrance  again.  But,  just  at  one  side  of  the 
"thumb"  was  an  aperture  from  which  the  wind 
blew  in,  as  could  be  seen  when  Polly  held  her  torch 
down  to  the  opening. 

"That  leads  out  somewhere,  and  that  opening 
is  big  enough  to  let  a  panther  creep  through,  or  a 
wild-cat!  I'd  like  to  crawl  through  there  and 
make  sure  where  it  comes  out  and  if  it  is  quite 
safe  on  the  other  side,"  suggested  Polly,  looking 
at  the  girls. 

"Oh,  Polly  dear!  Don't  do  it!  Suppose  some- 
thing should  happen  to  you  1"  cried  Anne. 

"Why,  I  wouldn't  let  it,  Anne!     If  I  creep 


226          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

through  that  tunnel,  I'd  shove  the  torch  in  first  and 
keep  it  moving  ahead  of  me  all  the  way,  so  that 
nothing  could  grab  me,  you  see !"  said  Polly,  half 
laughingly. 

"I  say,  Polly,  let  well  enough  alone.  Let's  go 
back  and  get  supper  and  rest  for  to-morrow  I" 
advised  Barbara. 

"But  just  s'posing  a  rattle-snake  was  coiled  up 
inside  that  tunnel!  A  burro  wouldn't  smell  it, 
and  it  could  crawl  out  during  the  night  and  take 
a  good  straight  bite!"  teased  Eleanor. 

Polly  laughed,  but  Barbara  thought  Eleanor 
meant  it,  so  she  replied:  "Then  Pofiy  had  bet- 
ter go  in  and  see  if  everything  is  safe  for  the 
night." 

Anne  had  been  so  rudely  shocked  that  day  at 
the  selfishness  apparent  in  Barbara's  character, 
that  she  did  not  try  to  hkle  her  opinion.  The 
wonder  was,  that  she  ever  could  have  been  so 
completely  taken  in  during  the  months  in  Den- 
ver, as  to  declare  Barbara  to  be  a  splendid  girl 
when  one  knew  her.  She  now  decided  that  it  took 
ranch  life  and  mountain  exploits  to  show  up  gen- 
uine characteristics  and  thoughts. 

"Polly,  I'll  go  in  first!"  offered  Eleanor, 
dropping  to  her  knees  to  crawl  in  at  the  opening. 


A  NIGHT  IN  THE  CAVE         227 

"Eleanor  Maynard!  Come  back  here!"  cried 
Barbara,  taking  hold  of  her  sister's  feet. 

"Nolla,  you  shan't  take  the  glory  from  me!" 
laughed  Polly. 

Meantime  Eleanor  was  pulled  back  and  rolled 
over,  laughing  as  heartily  as  if  she  were  at  a 
farce-comedy. 

"Now  listen  to  me!"  advised  Polly,  shaking  a 
finger  at  the  three  girls.  "First  of  all,  Anne  and 
Bob  must  go  and  watch  the  fires,  then  unpack  the 
panniers,  and  next  make  beds  of  the  tips — you 
know  how,  Anne?" 

"I've  watched  the  school  children  at  Bear 
Forks  weave  it,  so  I'm  sure  I  can  make  them, 
too,"  repfied  Anne. 

"Good!  You  stick  the  little  stem-ends  under 
the  soft  fuzz  of  the  others  just  laid.  The  prin- 
cipal thing  is  not  to  have  hard  prods  hurting  the 
body,  and  the  tips  will  take  care  of  the  springs 
and  softness,  all  right,"  said  Polly. 

"While  Anne  is  making  the  beds,  Bob  can  fix 
up  odds  and  ends  of  spruce  and  leaves  in  the 
'fingers'  for  the  horses'  beds — a  bed  in  each  fin- 
ger, Bob.  If  the  animals  are  comfortably  bedded 
down  they  will  be  fresh  in  the  morning.  And  if 
we  hide  them  in  those  fingers  the  scent  will  not  be 


228          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

so  apt  to  reach  a  grizzly  or  lion  should  any  prowl 
about  to-night." 

"Where  shall  I  place  the  spruce  beds  for  us?'1 
asked  Anne. 

"Fix  up  two  on  each  side  of  the  cave  as  near 
the  entrance  as  possible,  Anne.  We  need  air  and 
the  warmth  from  the  fires.  Then,  too,  we  can 
hear  any  wild  beast  that  may  prowl  around  to- 
night," advised  Polly.  "If  Nolla  wants  to  go 
with  me  she  takes  second  place,  see!" 

Eleanor  laughed  and  said,  "Anywhere  as  long 
as  we  start!" 

"Polly,  first  I  want  you  to  promise  me  not  to 
be  reckless  in  going  through  that  tunnel.  If  you 
meet  with  the  slightest  danger  or  hazard,  promise 
to  back  right  out  again,"  begged  Anne. 

"All  right,  Anne,  I  promise,  but  my  shoes  will 
mar  my  follower's  beauty  if  I  back  down  on  her 
face." 

Thus  joking  to  make  little  of  the  danger,  Polly 
started  in  through  the  hole.  Eleanor  followed 
and  the  two  older  girls  stood  watching  until  not 
a  sound,  or  ray  of  the  torch,  could  be  seen.  Then 
they  went  to  the  front  of  the  cave  to  replenish 
the  fires  and  prepare  supper. 


CHAPTER  XIV 
OLD  MONTRESOR'S  LEGACY 

"I'M  afraid  to  fix  the  beds  in  those  finger  caves, 
Anne,"  whimpered  Barbara,  coming  over  to 
where  the  young  woman  was  weaving  the  beds 
of  spruce. 

"What  is  there  to  be  afraid  of?  The  burros 
and  horses  won't  hurt  you,  and  they  are  too  weary 
with  this  day's  troubles  to  bother  about  kicking 
or  trampling  you.  However,  you  can  do  this,  if 
you  like,  and  I  will  make  up  the  beds  for  the 
beasts." 

The  spruce  beds  were  being  made — Anne  show- 
ing Barbara  how  to  lay  the  tips  in  rows  as  wide 
as  the  bed  was  to  be,  then  folding  under  the  sticks 
of  the  second  row  to  run  under  the  tips  of  the 
first  row,  and  so  on,  until  the  length  of  the  bed 
was  made. 

This  work  finished,  and  the  bedding  for  the 
horses  arranged  in  the  "fingers"  as  Polly  had. 

229 


23o          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

directed,  the  two  girls  stood  near  the  entrance 
of  the  cave,  wondering  what  possibly  could  have 
happened  to  keep  Polly  and  Eleanor  so  long. 

"I  just  felt  in  my  bones  that  it  was  an  awful 
risk  to  go  into  the  black  hole  of  the  unknown!" 
cried  Barbara. 

"It  isn't  that  that  bothers  me  at  all,  Bob.  But 
Polly  has  no  sense  of  fear,  and  I  think  they  may 
have  found  an  exit  at  the  other  end,  so  Polly  is 
coming  around  that  way.  It  is  a  hazardous  thing 
to  do,  in  this  storm !"  said  Anne. 

"Anne,  can't  you  try  to  squeeze  in  there  and 
see  what  has  happened?"  asked  Barbara. 

Anne  looked  at  her  without  saying  a  word,  so 
Barbara  thought  she  hesitated  on  account  of  leav- 
ing her  alone  in  the  cave. 

"I  won't  mind  staying  alone  for  a  little  time. 
I'll  watch  the  fires  and  see  that  the  horses  do  not 
get  away!"  said  Barbara. 

"Really!"  was  all  Anne  said,  as  she  turned  to 
place  another  pine  knot  on  the  fire. 

But  the  tone  silenced  Barbara,  who  had  food 
for  thought  thereafter. 

Meanwhile  Polly  and  Eleanor  had  crawled 
into  the  aperture,  and  by  dint  of  squirming  and 
twisting  through  the  passage,  found  that  only  the 


231 

section  nearest  the  cave  was  of  soft  debris.  It 
gradually  widened  as  they  advanced  and  Polly  dis- 
tinctly felt  a  current  of  cold  air  blowing  in  her 
face. 

After  creeping  along  for  some  distance  with- 
out finding  an  outlet,  Eleanor  pulled  on  Polly's 
foot  to  attract  her  attention. 

"Let's  go  back,  Poll.  No  use  hunting  down  in 
the  bowels  of  Grizzly  Slide." 

"Nolla,  the  smoke  of  the  torch  blows  harder 
than  at  first,  and  there  is  enough  air  to  waft  it 
backwards,  so  there  will  be  an  opening  at  the 
end,  I  am  sure.  That  is  what  I  must  know  for 
certain." 

"All  right,  lead  on!  I'll  be  with  you  at  the 
death!" 

Polly  chuckled  at  Eleanor's  loyalty  and 
crept  on. 

Finally  Eleanor  tugged  again  at  her  feet  and 
shouted:  "Hey,  Polly!  Aren't  we  most  through 
to  China  ?  Let  me  know  the  moment  you  get  the 
first  peep  at  a  pig-tail,  as  I  have  to  brush  the  cob- 
webs from  my  Chinese!" 

Polly  laughed  at  the  girl  who  made  merry  of  a 
journey  that  would  have  staggered  an  older  per- 
son. Finally,  however,  the  tunnel  widened  so  that 


232          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

both  girls  could  advance  comfortably  and  then, 
suddenly,  the  flame  of  the  torch  and  the  smoke 
ceased  to  blow  into  their  faces,  for  they  had  come 
out  into  an  open  space. 

"We're  here!"  laughed  Polly,  trying  to  stand 
up  and  giving  her  head  a  smart  rap  against  the 
overhanging  rock. 

;  'We're  here !'  For  goodness'  sake,  tell  me 
where  ?"  cried  Eleanor,  thrusting  her  torch  ahead 
so  that  it  was  almost  snuffed  out  against  Polly's 
shoes. 

"Gracious  me,  Nolla !  Don't  burn  my  soles  I" 
cried  Polly,  managing  to  stand  upright  and  hold 
aloft  her  torch. 

"Ha,  that's  good!  Don't  burn  your  soull" 
teased  Eleanor. 

But  the  moment  the  girls  saw  where  they  were, 
not  another  word  was  uttered,  for  they  found 
themselves  in  a  vault-like  cave  somewhat  smaller 
than  the  entrance  cave,  but  having  no  "fingers" 
or  outside  opening.  The  dome  and  sides  were 
rocky,  but  everywhere,  embedded  in  the  rock, 
myriad  points  of  light  reflected  as  the  flare  of  the 
torch  lit  up  the  place  uncertainly. 

Eleanor  thrust  up  her  torch  also,  and  both 
girls  pivoted  around,  forgetting  about  wild  beasts 
and  the  errand  they  came  upon.  After  blinking 


OLD  MONTRESOR'S  LEGACY     233 

at  the  bright  yellow  gleams  for  a  time,  PoHy 
turned  and  stared  at  Eleanor. 

"What  is  it?" 

"I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  Nolla.  It  looks  like 
copper." 

"Polly!     If  it's  copper,  then  we're  rich!" 

Both  girls  rushed  over  to  examine  the  metallic 
gleams  at  close  range,  and  PoHy  frowned  as  a 
thought  entered  her  mind.  Eleanor  turned  and 
looked  about  to  be  sure  no  one  could  hear,  and 
then  whispered : 

"Polly,  it  looks  like  gold!  Can  it  be  real 
GOLD!" 

The  girls  stared  at  each  other  and  then  burst 
out  into  a  simultaneous  laugh.  But  it  was  excite- 
ment, not  mirth,  that  occasioned  it.  Before  the 
wild  echoes  had  rung  through  the  vault,  the 
hysterical  girls  were  tearing  at  the  hard  walls, 
trying  in  vain  to  dislodge  a  nugget. 

"Oh,  why  did  I  leave  that  ax  in  the  pannier!" 
wailed  Polly. 

"Isn't  it  always  that  way — when  you  need  a 
thing!"  exclaimed  Eleanor. 

In  her  haste  to  reach  a  fragment  that  looked 
easy  to  break  off,  Polly  dropped  the  torch.  She 
stooped  to  pick  it  up  again  and  saw  a  nugget  of 
the  ore  on  the  ground,  harf-covered  with  dirt. 


234          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"I've  got  a  piece!  Oh,  Nolla,  look!  LOOK!" 
shouted  Polly,  holding  aloft  her  treasure. 

Eleanor  ran  over  and  both  girls  examined  the 
chunk  of  yellow  streaked  and  studded  rock. 

"Polly,  it  really  looks  like  gold,"  ventured 
Eleanor,  awed. 

"And  it's  red-gold,  too,  like  Old  Man  Mon- 
tresor's  nuggets,"  added  Polly. 

At  the  mention  of  the  gold-seeker,  both  girls 
looked  at  each  other  and  the  same  thought  flashed 
to  both  of  them  at  once. 

"Maybe  it  is !"  breathed  Polly. 

"Oh,  Poll,  hold  the  torch  down  near  the  ground 
so  I  can  find  a  chunk,  won't  you?"  be'seeched 
Eleanor,  now  anxious  to  find  a  nugget  for  her- 
self. 

"There,  Nolla — see  over  by  the  hole!  A  little 
piece  for  you." 

Eleanor  ran  over  and  found  it  to  be  smaller 
than  the  one  Polly  found,  but  there  was  more 
metal  in  the  nugget.  They  examined  it  closely 
and  decided  that  the  shining  metal  must  be  gold. 

"I'm  so  excited  that  I  feel  as  if  wheels  were 
turning  all  inside  of  me — do  you?"  laughed 
Eleanor,  hugging  her  nugget  to  her  heart. 

"It's  sort  of  a  dizzy  and  squeamish  feeling, 
isn't  it?"  explained  Polly,  looking  at  her  compan- 


OLD  MONTRESOR'S  LEGACY     235 

ion.  Then  for  the  first  time  since  they  emerged 
from  the  tunnel,  she  noticed  the  face. 

"Oh,  Nolla !  If  you  could  but  see  yourself! 
Just  like  a  negro,  but  streaky  where  you  smudged 
the  torch  smoke  from  your  eyes." 

"You're  no  'bleached  blonde'  either,  Poll!" 
laughed  Eleanor,  rubbing  her  sleeve  across  her 
face  and  looking  at  the  soot  in  amusement. 

"But  mine  can't  be  as  black  as  yours,  'cause  you 
got  all  the  smoke  from  both  torches." 

"Never  mind  now;  if  this  is  gold  we  can  afford 
to  have  the  tunnel  and  cave  wired  with  electricity 
at  once,"  laughed  the  excited  girl. 

"Well,  let's  finish  our  hunt  in  the  tunnel  and 
then  find  some  more  nuggets  for  Anne  and  Bar- 
bara. They'll  want  a  share,  you  know,"  sug- 
gested Polly. 

"Good  gracious,  Poll!  You're  not  going  on 
now,  are  you?" 

"Of  course!  The  gold  won't  melt  away,  but 
we've  got  to  close  up  any  opening  into  outdoors, 
you  know." 

"Let's  go  back  and  tell  the  girls  and  then  finish 
the  tunnel  work,"  pleaded  Eleanor. 

"How  silly  to  worm  a  way  back  for  the  sake  of 
showing  off  the  ore.  No,  let's  do  this  thing  up 
and  then  go  back  to  stay  for  the  night.  If  we 


236          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

don't  close  up  £ny  aperture,  a  wild  beast  may 
crawl  through,  then  what  good  will  the  gold  do 
us  if  we  are  dead?" 

"Sensible  as  ever!  Even  gold  can't  turn  your 
head  I"  said  Eleanor,  starting  for  the  narrow  place 
opposite  the  tunnel  they  came  from. 

"Funny,  isn't  it,  that  this  cave  should  be  here 
just  as  if  it  was  an  inflated  bubble  in  a  glass- 
blower's  tube  ?"  said  Polly. 

"I'll  reserve  my  opinion  till  I  see  the  end  of 
the  tube  I"  said  Eleanor,  waiting  for  Polly  to  creep 
into  the  opening. 

After  considerable  twisting  and  crawling,  Polly 
first,  with  her  torch,  and  Eleanor  second,  they 
suddenly  felt  a  current  of  fresh  air. 

"Oh!  Oh,  thank  goodness!"  gasped  Polly.  "I 
shoved  the  torch  ahead!  I'd  have  fallen  head- 
long into  this  abyss." 

"What  is  it,  Poll?" 

"A  pit  ever  so  wide,  and  I  can't  see  how  deep 
it  goes  down.  It's  right  in  the  tunnel  ground, 
cutting  off  all  further  investigations." 

"It'll  cut  off  investigations  of  a  wild  beast,  too, 
won't  it?"  asked  Eleanor  with  relief  in  her  tones. 

"Of  course — there  isn't  a  chance  of  anything 
coming  in  this  way.  I  can  hear  water  rushing, 
too,  way  down  at  the  bottom,  and  the  wind  blows 


OLD  MONTRESOR'S  LEGACY     237 

wp  from  this  pit,  so  there  must  be  an  opening 
down  there  where  the  subterranean  river  rushes 
out." 

"Maybe  this  tunnel  was  a  river,  once,  and 
emptied  down  into  that  pit,"  ventured  Eleanor. 

"I  don't  care  if  it  was!  I'm  anxious  to  go  back 
and  eat,  now  that  we  know  the  worst,"  replied 
Polly. 

"We  won't  need  both  torches  now,  Poll,  so 
drop  yours  in  the  pit  and  see  how  deep  it  may  be," 
suggested  Eleanor. 

"All  right,  but  for  pity's  sake  don't  let  yours 
go  out!" 

Polly  waited  to  steady  the  flame  and  then 
dropped  the  torch.  It  fell  straight  down  and 
flared  up  showing  the  rocky  sides  of  the  pit,  then 
suddenly  it  "sh-isshed"  in  water  and  all  was  dark 
once  more. 

The  girls  then  wormed  their  way  back  to  the 
gold  cave  (as  they  termed  it)  and  sought  for 
nuggets  in  the  dust  and  dirt  of  ages  that  covered 
the  rocky  floor.  Eleanor  found  a  few  pieces  the 
size  of  walnuts  and  Polly  secured  a  handful  of 
small  bits. 

"How  can  we  tie  them  up  if  we  have  to  crawl 
back?"  asked  Eleanor. 

"Got  a  handkerchief?" 


238  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"No,  I  gave  it  to  Bob  out  of  meanness,"  laughed 
Eleanor. 

"Hum!  Well,  we  might  put  them  in  our  middy 
blouses,  only  we  take  a  chance  of  losing  them  in 
squirming  back  through  that  tunnel,"  remarked 
Polly. 

"I've  heard  of  folks  smuggling  things  in  their 
shoes." 

"I  have  it!  Take  off  our  shoes  and  put  the 
nuggets  in,  then  tie  the  shoe-strings  tightly  about 
the  top  and  fasten  them  about  our  necks!"  ex- 
claimed Polly. 

This  being  a  good  plan,  both  girls  soon  had 
their  precious  ore  well-tied  in  their  mountain  boots, 
and  were  ready  to  proceed.  As  the  two  discov- 
erers neared  the  cave  where  the  others  were, 
Polly  shouted  excitedly,  and  Eleanor  joined  in  the 
clamor. 

Anne  and  Barbara  had  become  so  frightened 
at  the  prolonged  absence  of  the  two  girls  that 
Anne  was  about  to  crawl  in  to  find  them,  while 
Barbara  realized  how  much  she  really  loved  her 
younger  sister.  The  moment  they  heard  the  awful 
sounds  issuing  from  the  tunnel,  however,  they 
were  certain  a  wild  beast  had  attacked  them  and 
the  victims  were  fighting  a  way  out. 

Anne  grabbed  the  ax  and  held  it  aloft  ready 


OLD  MONTRESOR'S  LEGACY     23$ 

to  strike,  while  Barbara  stood  wringing  her  hands 
in  despair.  By  this  time  Polly  stuck  her  head  out 
of  the  opening,  but  neither  Barbara  nor  Anne 
recognized  the  black  face — her  voice  alone  told 
them  it  was  Polly. 

"Oh,  my  dear  child!  Are  you  badly  hurt?'* 
screamed  Anne,  dropping  the  ax  and  pulling 
Polly  forth,  Eleanor  crawling  directly  after  her. 

"Gold!  Gold!  GOLD!  See— lots  of  it  I 
Mountains  of  it!"  yelled  Eleanor,  trying  to  drag 
her  nuggets  from  the  boot  without  .untying  the 
strings. 

"Oh,  Anne,  we  found  a  gold  mine!  A  great 
big  cave  full  of  gold!"  cried  Polly,  managing  to 
untie  the  strings. 

"Poor  children!  Are  you  daffy?"  exclaimed 
Anne,  not  sure  whether  to  cry  or  laugh. 

"You'll  go  daffy  when,  you  see  that  cave — all 
shining  gold!"  laughed  Eleanor,  handing  her 
nugget  to  the  curious  sister. 

"See  here,  Anne,  isn't  this  gold?"  asked  Polly, 
working  the  large  chunk  of  ore  from  her  shoe. 

"It  looks  like  it,  Polly,  but  I'm  no  judge." 

"Oh,  let's  crawl  in  and  see  the  cavel"  now 
begged  Barbara  eagerly. 

"You  know  you'd  get  stuck,  in  that  narrow  tun- 
nel, Bob!  Besides,  I'm  starved,"  said  Eleanor. 


POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Moreover,  you  wouldn't  go  when  there  seemed 
to  be  danger  for  the  girls,  and  I'm  sure  I'm  not 
going  to  try  it  now!"  added  Anne. 

"Dear  me,  won't  any  one  go  with  me?"  com- 
plained Barbara,  who  stooped  to  gaze  in  at  the 
tunnel,  and  seemed  too  fascinated  to  leave  the 
spot. 

"Bob,  the  gold  has  been  there  for  centuries 
and  it  isn't  likely  to  melt  away  while  we  eat  sup- 
per!" declared  practical  Eleanor,  following  Anne 
to  the  opening  of  the  cave. 

As  they  went  to  the  place  where  Anne  had 
spread  the  supper,  Polly  told  them  of  the  mag- 
nificent sight  when  they  crept  out  of  the  dark  hole 
and  saw  the  glimmering  of  the  gold.  Over  and 
over,  the  two  girls  had  to  tell  minutest  details  of 
the  cavern,  Barbara  sighing,  frequently,  to  think 
she  was  not  small  enough  to  crawl  in  and  see  for 
herself. 

While  the  two  adventurers  washed  their  faces 
and  hands  with  melted  snow,  Anne  fried  the  fish 
over  some  red-hot  embers  scraped  out  of  the  fire. 
This  done,  they  sat  down  to  eat. 

As  they  ate,  they  talked  continually  of  their 
mine  not  so  far  from  the  festive  board. 

"Well,  PoHy,  you  surely  were  born  with  a  sil- 
ver spoon  in  your  mouth !"  sighed  Anne,  smilingly. 


OLD  MONTRESOR'S  LEGACY     241, 

"What  makes  you  say  that?" 

"You  can  see  for  yourself,  can't  you?  First 
you  fall  into  a  family  that  owns  no  end  of  wealth 
in  jeweled  cliffs,  and  now  you  fall  into  a  gold 
mine,"  replied  Anne. 

"But  Nolla  owns  half  of  this  mine,  and  I'm 
not  so  sure  but  you  and  Bob  come  in  for  your 
share!" 

The  other  girls  stared  at  Polly's  generosity,  as 
they  had  never  thought  of  holding  any  interest  in 
the  mine. 

"Anyway,  nobody  owns  it  yet!  It  legally  be- 
longs to  the  first  one  who  files  a  claim,  so  what 
we  must  do  is  to  hurry  back  to  Oak  Creek  and 
register  the  mine,"  said  Barbara,  businesslike. 

"My!  Gold  has  brought  Bob's  brains  upper- 
most!"  teased  Eleanor. 

"Who  knows  but  this  claim  has  been  staked 
years  ago!"  said  Anne,  meaningly. 

Polly  and  Eleanor  exchanged  glances.  But 
Barbara  wondered. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  she. 

"Well,  look  out  in  front:  there's  a  ledge  cleft 
in  the  side  of  the  mountain  wall.  Between  it  and 
the  other  lower  ledge  is  a  canyon  that  might  be 
the  one  Montresor  found  on  his  up-dimb. 
Yonder  the  slope  meets  the  chasm  and  above  is 


;242          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

the  steep  sides  leading  to  Top  Notch  Trail. 
Could  not  the  land-slide  have  buried  this  wall  and 
then  a  great  wash-out  have  cleared  it  again?  If 
we  only  had  a  gushing  mountain  stream  pouring 
from  the  cliff-side  the  setting  would  be  complete  1" 

Barbara  gasped,  but  Polly  clapped  her  hands. 
"Nolla,  that's  it!  The  subterranean  stream  we 
found  in  there.  Some  big  upheaval  changed  its 
outlet,  or  maybe  this  gold  vein  runs  clean  through 
and  Montresor's  claim  is  staked  opposite  this 
side — just  where  the  river  pours  out.  We  must 
look  over  that  side  to-morrow." 

The  two  younger  girls  then  told  of  the  pit  and 
the  river  and  all  agreed  that  it  might  be  the 
stream  found  by  the  prospector  before  the  land- 
slide covered  his  claim  v 


CHAPTER  XV 
MONTRESOR'S  CLAIM  is  JUSTIFIED 

POLLY  turned  to  place  the  nuggets  in  the  pannier 
and  almost  collided  with  Noddy. 

"Hello,  darling!  What  do  you  want — eh?'* 
said  she,  patting  the  burro's  head. 

Noddy  continued  to  gaze  wistfully  at  her 
mistress  and  Polly  said:  "Anne,  did  you  feed  the 
burros  and  horses?" 

"Yes,  just  as  you  told  me  to." 

"And  make  the  beds?" 

"Yes,  everything." 

Then  Noddy  ambled  over  to  a  pan  of  dirty 
snow  water,  in  which  the  explorers  had  washed 
their  blackened  faces.  She  would  have  to  drink 
it,  if  her  mistress  couldn't  understand  what  she 
needed! 

"Oh,  you  Noddy!  Is  that  what  you  want?" 
laughed  Polly,  taking  the  pan  and  running  out 
to  the  ledge  to  fill  it  with  clean  snow.  This  she 
brought  back  and  melted  to  provide  drink  for 
the  burro. 

243 


POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Did  your  thoughtless  foster-mother  forget  a 
drink  for  her  little  Noddy!"  crooned  Polly,  plac- 
ing the  pan  for  the  thirsty  burro.  "After  all  thai- 
hard  climbing  and  'first-aid,'  too  I" 

The  other  girls  laughed  at  the  wise  little  burro 
and  her  doting  mistress,  but  Polly  turned  and  said : 

"It's  lucky  Noddy  reminded  me!  We  must 
water  the  horses  well  to-night  if  we  want  them  in 
good  shape  for  to-morrow." 

So  Eleanor  and  Polly  gave  drink  to  the  thirsty 
animals  while  Anne  took  what  was  supposed  to 
be  a  chocolate  cake  from  the  bottom  of  the 
pannier.  It  had  been  so  shaken  up  during  transit 
that  the  paper  felt  sticky. 

While  they  all  watched  her  open  the  bundle, 
Noddy  went  back  to  her  finger-stall  to  sleep.  Sev- 
eral wrappings  of  paper  were  unwound  and  finally 
Anne  took  forth  the  surprise  Sary  had  mentioned 
in  the  morning. 

"Why!  It's  a  lemon  custard  pie!  Of  all 
things!"  cried  Barbara. 

"In  the  tin  dish  just  as  it  came  from  the  oven !" 
added  Eleanor,  laughing. 

"Not  quite  like  it  was  when  it  came  from  the 
oven,  for  such  a  shaken  up  mess  of  meringue  and 
custard  we  never  had  at  our  table !"  laughed  Polly, 


MONTRESOR'S  CLAIM  JUSTIFIED    245 

seeing  the  condition  of  the  pie  from  the  shaking 
and  falling  it  had  had  when  Choko  went  over  the 
cliff. 

"Any  one  want  a  slab?"  asked  Anne,  laughing 
also. 

"No,  thanks!  Maybe,  if  I  was  famished,  I'd 
eat  the  crust,  but  it  doesn't  appeal  to  me  now!" 
said  Polly. 

"Well,  I  say,  keep  it  until  to-morrow !  We  may 
be  glad  to  eat  it  in  the  morning  if  we  are  very 
hungry!  It  won't  hurt  to  save  it,  anyway!"  said 
sensible  Eleanor. 

So  Anne  sat  the  pie-plate  down  where  she  was, 
intending  to  put  it  on  the  ledge  when  she  got  up 
from  supper. 

"Reckon  I'll  put  some  more  pine  on  the  fires!" 
said  Polly,  seeing  the  flames  were  dying  down. 

She  had  raked  up  and  replenished  one  fire,  and 
was  attending  to  the  other  when  a  blood-curdling 
cry  came  from  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  causing  Polly 
to  jump  back  and  clutch  at  Anne's  arm. 

"Mercy!  How  that  frightened  me!"  said 
Polly,  trying  to  laugh  her  fears  away. 

The  other  girls  were  trembling  too,  and  Anne 
said,  "It  was  a  wolf,  wasn't  it?" 

"No,  it  was  the  cry  of  a  panther!    They  wait 


246          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

and  wait  in  quiet  for  a  long  time  to  get  a  chance 
at  their  prey,  then  if  something  interferes,  they 
make  that  awful  cry!" 

"Oh,  Polly!  Can  he  get  in,  do  you  think?" 
wailed  Barbara. 

"I  reckon  not!  But  weren't  we  lucky  to  have 
all  that  pine  for  the  fires !  It's  the  best  thing  to 
keep  him  away!"  said  Polly,  creeping  out  again 
to  see  if  both  fires  were  doing  their  duty. 

Another  howl  reached  the  girls,  and  Eleanor 
said  in  a  shaky  voice,  "He  won't  jump  over  the 
fires,  will  he,  Polly?" 

"No,  smoke  and  sparks  frighten  wild  beasts 
from  the  vicinity.  They  know  from  instinct  that 
forest  fires  kill  and  they  are  wary  of  them.  But 
they  haven't  the  sense  to  know  that  a  man-made 
fire  is  built  on  purpose  to  keep  them  away!" 

"It  must  be  awful  late,  Polly!  If  you  think 
everything  is  safe,  suppose  we  go  to  bed,"  Anne 
suggested  after  a  long  interval  unbroken  by  any 
howls. 

"All  right!  Let  Bob  and  Nolla  take  the  last 
two  beds,  while  you  and  I  take  these  in  front. 
I'll  use  this  one  where  I  can  watch  the  ledge 
going  up  to  the  slope.  If  I  see  anything  sus- 
picious, I'll  shoot!"  said  Polly,  examining  the  rifle 
and  standing  it  by  the  side  of  the  green-bough  bed. 


MONTRESOR'S  CLAIM  JUSTIFIED    247' 

"For  comfort's  sake,  girls,  unbutton  your 
clothes  and  remove  your  shoes.  They  can  be 
dried  by  the  fires  to-night  so  they  will  feel  better 
in  the  morning,"  advised  Anne. 

The  pine  fires  were  burning  beautifully,  and 
Anne,  completely  tired  out,  was  soon  asleep.  Bar- 
bara and  Eleanor  had  succumbed  to  weariness  the 
moment  they  rolled  over  on  the  beds.  But  Polly, 
tired  and  fatigued,  too,  knew  that  some  one 
must  keep  the  fires  going  all  night,  so  she  merely 
reclined  on  the  pine-bough  bed  and  started  up  at 
every  sound  or  crackle  of  the  fires.  She  piled 
pine  upon  them  all  night  through  until  the  first 
faint  gleams  of  dawn,  and  then  there  was  no  more 
wood  on  hand  to  use. 

She  worried  over  the  fact  that  the  pine  had 
given  out  and  just  as  she  turned  from  the  fires, 
having  deposited  the  last  small  kindlings  she  had 
found  lying  about,  she  heard  the  yelping  of  the 
mountain-lion  and  the  deep  growl  of  a  grizzly 
bear. 

She  ran  and  caught  up  the  rifle,  planning  to 
shoot  up  at  the  cliff  in  a  venture  to  frighten  them 
away.  She  aimed,  pulled  the  trigger,  and  the 
rifle-shot  rang  out  making  the  echoes  roar  and  roll 
through  the  chasm  as  if  an  army  was  shoot- 
ing. 


248          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

The  three  girls  who  had  been  sleeping,  'jumped 
out  of  the  spruce  beds  and  screamed  with  fright. 
Barbara  ran  madly  over  the  ground,  back  and 
forth,  not  certain  where  to  hide.  Eleanor  stood 
shivering  and  Anne  rushed  over  to  ask  Polly  what 
had  happened.  Polly  explained  in  a  whisper,  and 
Eleanor,  as  in  a  trance,  watched  her  sister  running 
about  with  something  that  seemed  to  cleave  to  her 
foot  closer  than  a  porous-plaster.  Finally,  Eleanor 
came  to  her  senses  and  ran  over  to  keep  Barbara 
from  rolling  under  the  burros  for  hiding. 

"For  the  love  of  Mike !  What's  all  over  your 
foot?"  cried  Eleanor,  dragging  Barbara  out  from 
the  "finger-stall"  to  exhibit  her  foot  to  the  other 
girls. 

At  sound  of  the  unexpected  shot,  Barbara  had 
jumped  up  frantically  and  darted  hither  and 
thither,  taking  little  heed  of  where  she  ran.  Now, 
as  her  companions  gazed  at  that  foot  exposed  by 
Eleanor,  they  all  laughed  hysterically  while  Anne 
shouted : 

"Oh,  our  custard  pie!" 

And  sure  enough.  Lemon  meringue  clung 
tenaciously  to  as  much  of  a  nicely-formed  foot 
and  lower  limb  as  it  possibly  could.  In  spite  of 
the  fears  over  wild  animals,  the  adventurers  had 
to  laugh  at  the  sight. 


"Hqw  will  I  ever  get  it  off?"  wailed  Barbara, 
when  she  realized  how  sticky  the  custard  was. 

"Rather  ask:  'How  shall  we  dispense  with  our 
breakfast?'  '7  retorted  Anne. 

But  another  mad  howl  from  without  now  made 
the  horses  cry  and  quiver  with  dread,  while  the 
girls  blanched  in  fear.  Polly  had  not  told  them 
that  the  wood  was  used  up,  and  now  Anne  ran 
to  carry  an  extra  armful  of  pine  to  replenish  the 
fires.  When  she  discovered  the  truth  of  the  sit- 
uation, she  slowly  turned  and  exchanged  a  mean- 
ing look  with  Polly. 

But  Polly  now  bent  suddenly  forward  and  in- 
tently eyed  something  she  saw  on  the  verge  of  the 
ledge  above.  She  kept  her  eyes  focused  there, 
and  carefully  felt  for  and  caught  up  her  rifle.  She 
silently  lifted  it,  took  aim,  and  fired! 

A  gleam  of  red  and  a  spurt  of  blue  came  from 
the  mouth  of  the  gun  even  as  the  sharp  report 
cracked  the  echoes  in  the  gully.  Instantly  follow- 
ing the  shot,  a  wild  howling  as  of  fifty  beasts 
fighting,  made  Polly  shoot  again.  Snarls  and 
yelps  followed,  until  Polly  heard  the  clamor  grow 
fainter  until  all  was  quiet  once  more. 

"Well,  girls!  As  long  as  we  are  fully  awake, 
suppose  we  forage  for  breakfast  and  make  an 
early  start!"  said  Anne. 


250          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Can  we  get  away,  do  you  think,  Polly?"  asked 
Kleanor. 

"Yes,  it's  a  clear  morning  and  it  doesn't  take 
long  for  the  snow  to  melt,  once  it  gets  started!" 
replied  Polly. 

"Have  you  enough  ammunition  to  load  again 
in  case  of  need?"  questioned  Anne. 

"Yes,  I  always  look  after  that  I  But  I  was 
wondering  what  we  can  have  for  breakfast?" 

"Ha  !  Leave  that  to  the  cook !"  laughed  Anne, 
going  to  the  ledge  and  reaching  up  behind  a  crev- 
ice in  the  rocky  wall.  She  brought  forth  one  of 
the  small  fish  spared  from  the  night  before. 

"Good  for  you,  Anne!  If  you  could  only  dig 
ep  some  sandwiches  as  readily!"  laughed  Polly,. 

"Maybe  I  can  do  that  too,  if  you  will  look 
after  the  horses  and  burros!"  said  Anne,  taking 
a  small  newspaper  bundle  from  behind  her  spruce 
bed. 

When  opened,  it  showed  that  Anne  had  stolen 
some  of  the  oats  from  the  feed.  This  she  rolled 
between  two  stones  until  it  was  crushed.  Then 
she  told  Eleanor  to  pick  out  as  many  of  the  husks 
as  possible. 

"She's  going  to  give  us  Rolled  Oats,  as  I  live !" 
laughed  Eleanor. 

Polly  smiled  for  she  was  surprised  to  find  Anne 


MONTRESOR'S  CLAIM  JUSTIFIED    251 

could  prepare  a  feast  in  the  wilderness;  and  soon 
the  oatmeal  was  cooking  beside  the  fish-pan. 

"H"ow  can  you  girls  enjoy  that  awful  stuff 
without  sugar  or  cream?"  asked  Barbara,  plain- 
tively. 

"We're  eating  ours  without  a  grumble,  but  I 
notice,  you  are  also  eating  yours  and  doing  all 
the  complaining!"  retorted  Eleanor. 

"I  have  to  eat  it  to  keep  from  starving,  still 
I  can't  enjoy  it  as  you  seem  to,  Nolla.  I  declare, 
you  seem  to  be  getting  awfully  common  in  your 
tastes." 

"Huh !  Show  me  a  selection  of  food  for  break- 
fast!" laughed  Eleanor,  smacking  her  lips  over 
the  last  spoonful  of  oats. 

"What  shall  we  do  about  feeding  the  animals?" 
asked  Eleanor,  as  they  got  up  from  the  ground 
to  pack  up  the  pans  and  other  stuff  waiting  to  be 
taken  back  home. 

"We'll  stop  at  the  first  good  Park  and  let  them 
graze  for  an  hour  or  two.  Then  a  good  drink 
from  a  stream  will  fix  them  all  right!"  said  Polly, 
glancing  at  Noddy,  who  had  come  from  her  stall 
and  stood  looking  sleepily  at  the  girls. 

"Doesn't  Noddy  look  for  all  the  world  like 
a  sleepy  child  who  has  to  get  up  for  school,  but 
who  hates  to  be  disturbed!"  laughed  Anne,  as 


252          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Noddy's  tousled  head  bobbed  up  and  down  while 
she  sniffed  the  air  redolent  with  oatmeal. 

Satisfied  that  something  was  cooking  for  her 
breakfast,  Noddy  ran  over  and  nozzled  at  the 
girls,  who  laughed  and  tried  to  push  her  cold  nose 
away. 

The  other  burros  and  horses  came  out  then, 
and  Polly  said,  "It  makes  me  feel  selfish  to  eat 
their  oats  but  then  they  can  eat  grass  in  the  park 
and  we  can't!" 

"Girls !  Aren't  you  going  to  have  another  look 
at  the  gold-mine  before  you  leave  here?"  asked 
Barbara. 

"What  for?  It  won't  do  us  any  good  and  only 
waste  time,"  replied  Polly. 

"Maybe  you  can  find  some  more  nuggets  to 
carry  back!"  ventured  Barbara. 

"We  have  all  we  need  to  claim  the  rights  of 
the  mine,  so  why  lug  any  more  than  we  need?" 
returned  Polly. 

"Come  on,  Poll!  Let's  pack  up  and  be  go- 
ing!" said  Eleanor,  decisively. 

So,  with  the  animals  saddled  and  the  panniers 
packed,  the  cave-dwellers  started  carefully  along 
the  ledge  towards  the  slope. 

It  was  an  invigorating  morning,  and  the  sun 


MONTRESOR'S  CLAIM  JUSTIFIED    253 

vith  its  rays  was  just  topping  the  tips  of  the  pines, 
when  the  girls  rode  forth  to  climb  the  slope. 

"Not  a  sign  of  that  awful  storm!"  said  Anne, 
amazed. 

"Only  in  the  glades  and  ravines,  where  the 
snow  has  drifted  into  heaps !  Even  that  will  melt 
rapidly,  as  the  warmth  of  the  day  is  felt,"  said 
Polly,  looking  eagerly  about  as  she  rode. 

"Polly,  what  do  you  suppose  became  of  those 
wild  animals?"  asked  Eleanor,  riding  directly  be- 
hind Polly. 

"That  is  just  what  I  am  looking  for.  I  thought 
maybe  I  could  see  some  tracks,  for  I  was  sure  I 
got  that  panther  when  I  took  aim  and  shot !" 

"Well,  I'm  going  over  near  that  edge  of  the 
cliff  and  see  if  there  is  any  sign  of  blood  or 
tracks !"  declared  Eleanor. 

"No,  no!  You  stop  right  here  with  us, 
Nolla!"  cried  Barbara,  anxiously. 

"I*m  going  over  myself,  Bob,  because  I  am 
curious  to  see  why  both  of  them  should  slink  away 
so  quickly.  A  mountain-lion  seldom  leaves  a  pos- 
sible victim  until  he  has  been  gorged,  and  it  was 
strange  that  he  should  go  without  having  tried 
to  get  at  us !"  said  Polly. 

"Oh,  Polly!     Please  don't  talk  of  such  grue- 


254          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

some  things !  I  am  so  glad  we  will  soon  be  back 
in  civilization!"  said  Barbara. 

The  horses  reached  the  top  of  the  slope  and 
Polly  guided  Noddy  across  the  rough  place  to 
the  cliff,  where  the  fight  had  taken  place. 

Here  she  sought  for  some  track  or  sign  of  the 
fight,  but  saw  only  a  few  small  spots  of  red  in 
the  white  snow. 

Eleanor  tried  to  make  her  burro  follow  after 
Noddy,  but  he  was  fractious  and  would  not  go 
near  the  cliff.  He  made  a  detour,  however,  about 
a  small  group  of  trees  and  just  as  he  came  opposite 
them,  something  upon  the  snow-drift  at  the  base  of 
the  largest  tree,  caused  him  to  shy  violently. 

"Oh,  girls!  Run!  Come  here  and  see  what's 
here,"  cried  Eleanor,  excitedly,  jumping  from 
her  burro  but  remembering  to  hold  the  bridle. 

The  burro  backed  and  refused  to  go  nearer  the 
thing,  but  Polly  rode  Noddy  over  and  saw  that 
Eleanor  had  discovered  one  of  the  victims  of  the 
fight. 

"Ha !  I  thought  so !"  said  Polly,  with  satisfac- 
tion. 

Noddy  was  left  to  watch  from  a  comfortable 
vantage  point,  while  her  mistress  ran  up  to  the 
large  panther  which  was  stretched  out  at  the  foot 


MONTRESOR'S  CLAIM  JUSTIFIED    255 

of  the  tree.  He  had  tried  to  climb  it  in  order 
to  escape  the  grizzly's  claws. 

"Isn't  he  a  massive  beast!"  cried  Anne,  watch- 
ing from  her  horse  some  distance  away. 

"You  girls  come  back!  He  may  not  be  dead!" 
shrieked  Barbara,  the  moment  she  saw  the  animal. 

"Say,  Bob,  if  he  wasn't  dead,  he'd  have  had  me 
down  long  before  you  came  along  to  warn  us!" 
laughed  Eleanor. 

"Polly,  he's  a  beauty,  even  if  he  is  such  a  terror, 
isn't  he?"  said  Eleanor,  admiring  the  satiny  coat 
and  beautiful  form  of  the  large  mountain-lion,  so 
majestic  in  death. 

"I  never  saw  a  larger  one!  He  must  be  at 
least  nine  feet  long  from  nose  to  tip  of  tail !"  said 
Polly,  lifting  the  tail  with  her  foot,  then  letting 
it  drop  again. 

She  stooped  over  looking  closely  at  the  wounds 
made  by  the  grizzly,  then  she  suddenly  cried  out, 
"Oh !  I  thought  that  shot  hit  him !  It  must  have 
been  that  first  shot  from  the  rifle  that  sent  him 
back  from  the  cliff.  Then,  the  bear  tracked  him 
and  had  the  fight  back  here  in  the  forest.  That 
is  when  we  heard  the  sounds  diminishing. 

"Well,  old  fellow,  I'm  sorry  it  had  to  be  so! 
But  you  decreed  it !  It  was  you  or  one  of  us,  and 


256          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

I  preferred  to  have  had  it  you!  Old  Grizzly 
wouldn't  be  so  cattish  about  sneaking  up  and  lay- 
ing low  for  us  until  the  fire  died  down,  or  till  one, 
of  us  happened  to  step  out  of  the  circle  of  light  I 
He  would  have  made  a  big  noise  from  the  begin- 
ning and  pounced  down  upon  us  willy-nilly.  And 
now  he  has  given  you  yours !" 

As  Polly  spoke,  she  stood  looking  regretfully 
at  the  creature,  as  if  she  wished  the  world  was 
ordered  otherwise  than  all  the  killing  and  taking, 
one  from  another,  in  the  vain  belief  of  living  I 

"Polly,  how  much  do  you  think  he  weighs?" 
asked  Eleanor  eagerly. 

"Too  much  to  drag  home — if  that  is  why  you 
asked!"  laughed  Polly,  looking  up  at  Eleanor, 
with  a  wise  shake  of  the  head. 

"To  tell  the  truth,  that  is  exactly  what  I 
planned  to  do  until  I  saw  how  big  he  was!" 
laughed  Eleanor. 

"He  must  weigh  at  least  two  hundred  pounds, 
Nolla,"  said  Anne,  who  had  come  nearer  during 
the  examination. 

"Yes,  nearer  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  I 
reckon,"  said  Polly. 

"I  wanted  to  ship  him  to  Chicago  and  show  all 
of  my  society  friends  what  we  killed  during  my 
mountain  visit!"  explained  Eleanor. 


MONTRESOR'S  CLAIM  JUSTIFIED    257 

"Your  motive  killed  the  project  before  you  saw 
him,"  said  Anne,  wagging  her  head  at  Eleanor  as 
a  rebuke. 

"/  Eleanor  laughed  merrily.  "Well,  I  intend  hav- 
ing a  regular  exhibit  when  I  get  back !  All  kinds 
of  wild  things  will  be  shown  my  friends.  I  pro- 
pose having  Polly  and  Noddy  sitting  upon  a  pedes- 
tal in  tke  drawing-room  as  a  sample  of  the  wildest 
things  ®n  the  Rockies !"  laughed  Eleanor,  giving 
Polly  an  affectionate  glance. 

"Oh,  Nolla,  don't  talk  so  foolishly!  As  if 
Polly  would  come  to  Chicago !  What  would  she 
do  with  herself  while  we  had  to  entertain?"  said 
Barbara,  pettishly,  but  no  one  hearkened. 

"Maybe  we  can  blaze  a  trail  from  hereto  the 
nearest  ranch  on  our  way  home,  and  send  some 
one  from  there  to  come  and  cart  the  brute  home 
for  us.  I'd  pay  him  well!"  said  Eleanor,  not 
willing  to  forego  the  pleasure  of  showing  the  lion 
at  home. 

"Oh,  but  then,  you  will  make  these  ranchers 
curious.  Once  this  far,  they  will  look  about  the 
place  where  we  spent  the  night,  and  that  will  lead 
them  to  discover  the  mine !"  said  Polly. 

"I  forgot  that !  Of  course  it  would  be  foolish 
to  give  any  one  the  slightest  clewto  our  ever  being 
here,  and  of  what  we  did  while  here!  I  see  I 


258          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

shall  have  to  say  good-by  to  the  lion  I  hoped  to 
be  lionized  for!"  said  Eleanor,  laughingly. 

"With  a  gold  mine  as  rich  as  yours,  you'll  be 
lionized  without  the  lion  I"  laughed  Anne. 

"By  the  way,  did  you  bring  your  nugget,  Polly?" 
asked  Eleanor. 

"Reckon  I  did!" 

"Then  before  we  leave,  don't  you  think  we 
ought  to  make  some  sort  of  a  plan,  or  mark  the 
spot  so  we  can  find  it  again?  We  don't  wnnt  to 
make  the  same  mistake  old  Montresor  did,  you 
know!"  said  Eleanor,  anxiously. 

"I  have  a  plan  all  made.  I  did  it  while  sitting 
by  the  fire  this  morning,  before  you  girls  were 
awake,"  said  Polly,  taking  off  her  hat  and  remov- 
ing a  folded  paper. 

The  girls  were  surprised  at  the  accuracy  of  the 
sketch,  and  Anne  said,  "Any  one  can  find  it  from 
these  directions!" 

"Thank  you,  but  you  see,  it  would  be  hazard- 
ous to  risk  any  one  else  coming  here.  The  im- 
portance of  keeping  the  whole  adventure  a  pro- 
found secret  until  we  have  duly  filed  papers  and 
can  claim  right  of  ownership  to  the  claim,  can  be 
seen  now.  I  hardly  think  it  wise  to  speak  of  the 
crevice  or  danger  of  a  land-slide  until  after  we  get 


MONTRESOR'S  CLAIM  JUSTIFIED    253 

some  inside  information  about  taking  hold  of  the 
mine,"  said  Polly,  seriously. 

An  hour  more  was  used  by  Polly  in  staking  a 
legal  claim  and  marking  the  corners  with  heaps  of 
stone.  She  also  left  a  very  deep  blaze  in  each  of 
the  four  trees  that  cornered  the  large  square  area 
she  thought  would  cover  the  cavern. 

Noddy  soon  found  the  Top  Notch  Trail  when, 
they  were  again  on  the  way  homeward.  By  rid- 
ing steadily  all  morning,  they  reached  the  spot 
where  the  rattle-snake  was  waiting  for  transporta- 
tion. Anne  and  the  others  had  experienced  so 
many  greater  shocks  since  the  killing  of  the  reptile 
that  they  felt  no  qualms  about  carrying  the  snake 
now. 

When  the  four  riders  finally  turned  in  on  the 
Pebbly  Pit  Trail,  it  was  past  four  o'clock.  They 
had  been  going  steadily  since  morning,  without 
food  or  rest,  excepting  the  hour  they  had  to  stop 
at  the  falls  to  give  the  animals  grass  and  water, 
and  the  girls  were  the  sorriest-looking  lot  as  they 
dragged  up  the  road  to  the  house  and  stopped  at 
the  porch. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

A  YOUNG  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK 

"GLORY  be !  You-all  war  givin'  Mis'  Brewster 
fits  wid  no  sign  of  hide  nor  hair  sence  yister- 
morn!"  cried  Sary,  rushing  out  of  the  kitchen 
door,  the  moment  she  heard  the  horses  hoof- 
beats. 

Mrs.  Brewster  heard  Sary  and  also  ran  out, 
crying,  "Oh,  my  dear  children!  We've  had  such 
a  day!  Sam  just  went  to  the  barn  to  hook  up 
and  start  the  ranchers  on  a  hunt !  A  trapper  rode 
in  this  morning  and  spoke  of  the  awful  blizzard 
that  hit  Top  Notch  Trail.  Of  course,  we  knew 
you  couldn't  find  that  or  we'd  have  been  still  more 
worried!" 

The  girls  looked  at  each  other  and  laughed 
aloud.  Mrs.  Brewster  shrewdly  guessed  the 
truth. 

"Did  you  find  it?  And  where  under  the  sun 
did  you  hide  during  that  awful  storm?"  cried  she, 
anxiously. 

Sary  paid  no  attention  to  a  recital  of  trails  and 
260 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK    261 

storms,  however,  for  it  was  half  past  four  and 
Jeb  would  have  to  take  care  of  the  five  mounts 
before  he  could  hope  to  come  in  for  supper,  and 
spend  a  quiet  evening  with  her.  So,  to  prevent 
any  delay,  she  turned  to  Polly. 

"You-all  'pear  to  be  tuckered  out!  Jest  flop 
inter  the  cheers  an'  rest  whiles  Ah  carry  the 
hosses  to  th'  barn.  Ah'll  tell  Mr.  Brewster  like- 
ez-how  you-all  come  home,  an'  spared  him  a  trip !" 

Mrs.  Brewster  objected  to  the  offer  for  she 
wanted  Sary  to  finish  the  preparations  for  supper 
and  give  her  time  to  talk  with  the  girls.  Sary, 
however,  paid  no  attention  to  her  mistress's  ob- 
jections but  gathered  all  the  reins  together  and 
led  the  animals  to  the  barn. 

Shortly  after  the  girls  had  gone  indoors  to  drink 
some  hot  milk — for  Mrs.  Brewster  said  hot  milk 
would  take  most  of  the  fatigue  out  of  their  bodies 
— Sam  Brewster  ran  down  the  path  from  the  barn, 
and  burst  into  the  living-room. 

"Well,  say!  Ah  shore  am  glad  to  see  you-all 
back  home !  Ah  just  was  preparing  to  wire  some 
detectives  to  be  on  the  lookout  in  the  Zoo  for  any 
lions  or  bears  lately  come  in  who  looked  unusually 
well-fed!" 

Every  one  was  so  delighted  at  the  reunion  that 
Mr.  Brewster's  foolishness  made  them  laugh 


262          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

merrily.  He  hugged  Polly  until  she  cried  for 
breath,  then  he  shook  hands  over  and  over  again 
with  Anne  and  the  girls,  Mrs.  Brewster,  remon- 
strating meantime,  that  she  wanted  to  hear  of 
their  adventures ! 

The  girls  were  so  eager  to  tell  about  the  cavern 
of  gold  that  they  refused  to  wash  and  dress,  or 
remove  any  stains  of  the  climb,  until  after  the 
whole  story  was  told. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brewster  thought  it  was  the  tale 
of  the  trip  and  the  trials  throughout  the  blizzard, 
and  they  cared  little  for  what  had  passed  as  long 
as  all  were  safe  and  happy  again.  But  Polly 
blurted  out  the  truth  to  make  them  listen. 

"I  found  Montresor's  gold  mine,  Pawl" 

It  hit  the  mark!  In  the  shock  the  news  made 
upon  the  Brewsters,  no  one  noticed  Polly's  slip  on 
the  old  pet  title.  After  a  long  tense  period  of 
silence,  however,  Sam  Brewster  said :  "Daughter, 
it  can't  be  true !" 

"Tis,  though,  Mr.  Brewster!  Polly  and  I 
crawled  through  the  tunnel  until  we  came  out  into 
that  marvelous  cavern  of  gold,"  and  Eleanor 
sighed  audibly  as  she  thought  of  that  sight. 

"What  cavern !  You-all  must  be  clean  locoed 
with  the  blizzard  and  the  long  ride!"  cried  Mr. 
Brewster,  testily. 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK    263 

The  girls  laughed  appreciatively,  for  they 
understood  just  how  those  who  remained  at  home 
would  feel  at  such  news! 

So  Polly  sat  upon  her  father's  knee  and  told  him 
the  story  of  the  mine,  from  the  time  Choko  fell 
over  the  cliff  until  they  left  the  panther  at  the  foot 
of  the  tree. 

"And  here's  the  plan  and  claim,  and  there's  the 
gold!" 

Polly  drew  the  nuggets  from  her  dress  and  took 
the  papers  from  her  sombrero,  and  placed  them 
in  her  father's  hands. 

Mrs.  Brewster  dropped  upon  her  knees  to  the 
floor  to  look  at  the  map  and  the  ore,  while  her 
husband  was  examining  the  large  nugget.  The 
four  girls  had  no  idea  how  anxious  they  were 
about  this  ore  until  they  saw  Mr.  Brewster  care- 
fully looking  it  over  with  the  eye  of  an  expert 
miner. 

His  first  words  were  a  decided  shock. 

"Ah  wouldn't  set  much  store  about  this  mine, 
girls !  You-all  don't  see  what  Ah  see  in  this  dis- 
covery. It's  gold — yes,  it  looks  to  me  like  red' 
gold  of  good  quality,  and  if  it  is  as  you  say — a 
cavern  exposed  so  any  one  can  value  it  off-hand, 
so  much  the  better !  But,  the  end  of  Top  Notch 
Trail,  where  you  doubtless  spent  the  night,  is  a 


264          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

far  haul  from  Oak  Creek,  and  the  chasm  in  front, 
and  the  mountain  on  top,  are  drawbacks  to  mining. 
However,  we  will  ride  into  Oak  Creek  in  the 
morning  and  file  this  claim  of  yours  and  see  if  it 
comes  anywhere  near  to  being  the  one  old  Mon- 
tresor  left,  Polly.  It  would  give  me  the  keen- 
est joy  to  be  able  to  say  something  to  a  few 
of  the  mean  old  rascals  about  Oak  Creek,  who 
called  me  a  fool  for  paying  the  funeral  costs 
and  filing  the  claim  of  that  kind  old  man,  Mon- 
tresor!" 

"But,  Dad — father!  If  this  mine  happens  to 
cross  the  claim  staked  by  Mr.  Montresor,  will  it 
interfere  with  our  filing  a  new  claim?"  asked  Polly, 
anxiously. 

"It  depends  on  how  much  ground  you  covered 
with  your  corners !"  replied  her  father. 

"You  can  depend  upon  it,  I  covered  all  I  could 
think  might  come  within  a  mile  of  gold !"  laughed 
Polly. 

"Well,  girls,  listen  to  some  good  advice  on  this ! 
Not  a  word  to  be  said  about  this  cave — not  even 
among  yourselves  until  the  claim  is  filed  and  in- 
vestigated!  You  see,  the  walls  have  ears  when 
any  one  speaks  of  gold!  Then,  having  attended 
to  the  legal  aspects  of  the  mine,  we  will  all  ride 
over  to  remain  a  few  days,  as  visitors  to  Old  Mr. 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK     265 

Grizzly!  When  we  get  back  we  ought  to  have 
some  information  worth  while !" 

"And  what  about  sending  for  John's  friend  to 
come  and  go  with  us?  If  he  knew  enough  to  tell 
you  about  the  lava,  he  will  surely  be  able  to  judge 
about  the  gold!"  ventured  Polly,  eagerly. 

"I  think  that  is  a  splendid  idea,  Sam!  When 
we  go  in  to  Oak  Creek  to-morrow,  let  us  send 
John  a  day-letter  explaining  about  this  cavern," 
added  Mrs.  Brewster. 

"Hain't  you-all  comin'  to  supper?  Har  hev 
Ah  ben  and  wukked  all  day  hopin'  fer  a  night  off 
to-night!"  said  Sary,  suddenly  appearing  at  the 
doorway  between  the  living-room  and  the  kitchen. 

Every  one  started  for  she  had  not  made  a  sound 
before  speaking,  so  no  one  knew  how  much  she 
had  over-heard.  Mrs.  Brewster  quickly  replied, 
however. 

"Why,  Sary!  I  didn't  know  you  wished  to  go 
out !  I  could  have  attended  to  supper  myself,  had 
you  asked  me!" 

"Ah  hain't  planned  to  go  out — Ah  said  a  'night 
off,'  Mis'  Brewster,"  said  Sary,  hardly  deigning 
to  wait  for  an  answer,  but  looking  at  the  girls  with 
an  impatient  frown. 

"Mother,  we  really  must  wash  before  supper!" 
said  Polly. 


266  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Sary  tossed  her  head.  Mrs.  Brewster  knew 
what  that  meant,  so  she  urged  the  girls  to  forego 
any  lengthy  toilets  and  merely  wash  away  the 
worst  signs  of  travel. 

Sary  was  pacified  when  Eleanor  came  out  of 
the  room  and  handed  her  a  large  paper  bundle. 

"Sary,  I  have  a  little  present  for  you  because 
we  made  so  much  trouble  to-night." 

"Oh,  Miss  Nolla,  Ah'm  much  obleeged  t'  you- 
all.  Ah  don'  mind  trouble,  onny  yoh  see  Ah  ex- 
pec'  comp'ny  to-night." 

It  took  Sary  but  an  instant  to  open  the  package 
and  when  she  beheld  a  ruffled  organdy  dress  dis- 
carded by  Barbara  the  previous  season  and  acci- 
dentally packed  in  the  trunk  with  other  clothes, 
she  rolled  her  eyes  heavenward. 

"Miss  Nolla !     Is  this  fine  gown'd  fer  me?" 

Eleanor  stifled  a  laugh  but  Sary  made  as  if  she 
would  clasp  the  girl  in  her  powerful  arms,  so  dis- 
cretion was  needed.  Eleanor  backed  behind  the 
kitchen  chair. 

"Miss  Nolla,  Ah  wonder  ef  a  widder  of  seven 
months'  standin'  mought  wear  little  yaller  rose- 
buds on  a  dress,  like-ez-how  this  is?" 

"Certainly,  Sary,"  came  from  Mrs.  Brewster, 
who  now  joined  the  two.  "It's  not  the  color  or 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK    267 

quantity  of  clothes  as  much  as  the  sincerity  of 
one's  mourning." 

Quite  unintentionally,  Mrs.  Brewster  touched 
upon  a  tender  spot.  In  fact,  so  tender  was  it, 
that  Sary  blamed  Bill  for  having  died  so  recently 
instead  of  two  years  back.  She  might  have  now 
been  ending  her  second  year  of  mourning! 

Eleanor  being  trained  to  the  wiles  of  polite  so- 
ciety, saw  and  understood  Sary's  flash  of  resent- 
ment, so  she  turned  to  Mrs.  Brewster  with  the  re- 
mark: 

"I've  heard  said,  that  the  highest  regard  a 
widow  can  pay  her  departed,  is,  to  take  a  second 
husband.  It  speaks  well  for  her  happiness  with 
the  first  one,  you  see." 

Mrs.  Brewster  stared  at  Eleanor  but  Sary 
smirked  and  quickly  replied : 

"You-all  is  right,  Miss  Nolla !  A  widder  what 
hez  ben  so  happy  that  she  gits  lonesome  whiles 
thinkin'  of  her  departed,  hez  a  right  t'  find  a 
second  husban'." 

Mrs.  Brewster  choked  a  laugh  as  she  saw  the 
sublime  look  in  the  "help's"  eyes,  and  hurried  out. 
Eleanor  then  suggested : 

"Now  you  run  away  and  beautify  yourself, 
Sary,  and  I  will  wash  the  dishes  to-night." 


268  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Sary  needed  no  second  invitation  and  in  another 
moment  she  had  disappeared  to  her  "boudoir" 
back  of  the  buttery. 

Eleanor  was  as  good  as  her  word,  for  she  was 
soon  busy  with  dish-water  and  mop,  rattling  the 
china,  and  banging  pans  about  as  if  noise  and 
bustle  were  sure  signs  of  hard  work  and  energy. 
Polly  laughed  as  she  cleared  away  the  remains  of 
the  meal  and  then  caught  up  a  towel  to  dry  the 
dishes.  As  they  worked  the  two  girls  talked. 

"Poll,  now  that  you  have  this  gold  mine,  what 
will  you  do  with  all  the  wealth  that  is  yours?" 
asked  Eleanor. 

Polly  held  a  decorated  plate  in  front  of  her 
face  to  hide  her  smile,  and  pretended  to  be 
looking  for  grease  on  its  surface.  When  she  had 
straightened  her  face  again,  she  said:  "Oh,  I'm 
going  away  to  school,  first  of  all.  I'm  not  so 
sure  that  I  want  to  stay  in  Denver,  now  that  you 
have  told  me  all  about  Chicago.  I'll  write  for 
catalogues  of  schools  there;  and  then  I  can  see 
John  quite  often  during  the  school  year." 

"Just  what  I  would  have  suggested,  Poll! 
Then  you  can  live  at  home  with  me.  Dad  and 
you  and  I  will  have  the  best  times !" 

To  accentuate  her  approval  of  Polly's  prema- 
ture plans,  Eleanor  swished  the  dish-mop  wildly 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK    269 

up  and  down  in  the  soapy  water,  but  the  suds  flew 
up  lightly,  as  soapsuds  will,  and  a  bubble  burst 
in  Polly's  eye. 

"Oo-h  I  Stop  throwing  dish  water  in  my  face, 
Nolla !"  cried  Polly,  with  eyes  screwed  shut  and 
one  free  hand  trying  to  rub  the  smarting  lye  from 
her  eye. 

"I  never  did,  Polly!  It  must  have  splashed 
accidentally  when  I  was  washing  the  pan." 

"You  have  done  nothing  since  you  began  the 
dishes,  but  rattle  and  swash  that  mop  about  in  the 
pan  as  if  you  were  mining  the  ore  from  the  cave," 
complained  Polly,  as  she  managed  to  open  her 
eyes  again. 

"I  suppose  it  is  because  we  are  so  excited  over 
the  find,  and  all  it  means  for  you,  Polly,"  ex- 
plained Eleanor,  contritely. 

"It  doesn't  mean  much  more,  now,  than  before. 
The  thing  I  am  most  happy  over,  is  that  Old 
Man  Montresor  will  be  vindicated,  and  people 
will  stop  jeering  at  me,  and  at  what  they  called 
his  locoed  ideas." 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  at  this  mo- 
ment by  the  appearance  of  Sary.  She  first  poked 
her  head  from  the  partly  opened  door  of  her 
room  and  then  said:  "Is  any  one  about  to  see 
me?" 


270          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

Polly  turned  to  make  sure  that  they  were  alone 
in  the  kitchen,  and  Eleanor  replied:  "No,  what 
is  it,  Sary?" 

Then  the  maid  stepped  forth  and  such  a  vision ! 
She  had  curled  her  red  hair  on  a  pair  of  old- 
fashioned  tongs.  The  curling  irons  were  but  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter  and  they  were 
heated  by  thrusting  them  into  the  living  embers 
of  the  kitchen  fire.  When  Sary  drew  the  comb 
through  her  scanty  tresses  they  took  on  the  ap- 
pearance of  carrot-colored  cotton  threads  which 
had  just  been  ripped  out  of  an  old  garment — so 
crinkly  and  frizzed  were  the  strands  of  hair. 

The  flowered  organdy  dress  that  Eleanor  had 
given  Sary  to  wear  for  the  great  occasion  of  re- 
ceiving a  caller,  was  much  too  small  for  the  buxom 
widow,  and  she  was  in  great  distress  about  it. 
This  brought  her  out  to  ask  advice  of  the  girls. 

"Why  bother  to  wear  the  dress,  Sary,  until  you 
have  had  time  to  alter  it  for  yourself?"  asked 
Polly. 

"Why,  Polly!  Ah  has  to  keep  up  my  looks 
now  that  comp'ny  is  lookin'  my  way  again.  Ef 
you-all  hadn't  such  fine  city  gals  at  home,  what 
wears  th'  latest  fashions  so  that  Jeb  can't  help 
but  see  what's  what,  Ah  woulden'  have  to  worry 
so  much  about  looks.  But  a  woman  has  to  keep 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK    271; 

up  when  other  women  set  the  pace,  'specially  ef 
she  is  a  widow,  like-as-how  Ah  am  now." 

Eleanor  laughed  appreciatively  and  said: 
"Sary  is  just  like  Bob,  when  it  comes  to  that! 
It  is  the  eternal  feminine,  Poll,  that  drives  both 
Bob  and  Sary  to  the  verge  of  tears,  because  they 
cannot  catch  their  beaux  with  their  good  looks." 

Sary  smirked  self-consciously  at  Eleanor's 
words,  for  she  thought  she  was  being  coupled 
with  Barbara  and  her  attractions.  Sary  felt  quite 
sure  that  she  was  good-looking  and  winsome,  but 
she  had  to  hear  Eleanor's  words  to  make  her 
believe  she  was  fascinating. 

"If  I  was  Sary,  I'd  wear  a  nice  clean  blouse 
and  a  linen  skirt.  It  would  be  far  more  com- 
fortable than  that  awfully  tight  gown,"  remarked 
Polly. 

But  the  help  scorned  such  simplicity  and  turned 
to  Eleanor  for  further  advice  about  her  appear- 
ance. The  latter,  wise  in  her  years,  turned  her 
head  on  one  side  and  appeared  to  be  debating. 

"Seems  to  me,  Sary,  that  putting  on  that 
organdy  just  as  it  is,  without  fixing  it  over  a  bit, 
may  make  Jeb  suspicious  of  its  not  being  made 
for  you.  He  may  even  go  so  far  as  to  wonder  if 
Bob  handed  it  down  to  you.  Now  you  do  not 
want  him  to  dream  that  you  did  not  have  it  made 


272          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

to  order  for  yourself,  so  why  not  take  it  off  un- 
til you  can  remodel  it  to  fit  yourself,  like  new?" 

Sary  pondered  this  suggestion  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, and  then  said:  "Ah  ain't  got  no  fancy 
dress  to  wear,  onny  this,  Miss  Nolla.  Ef  Ah 
puts  on  my  black  alpaky,  he'll  remember  'bout 
Bill,  and  sech  memories  allus  dampen  a  man's 
plans  to  pop  th'  question." 

Both  girls  had  to  laugh  outright  at  the  unex- 
pected confession ;  but  Sary  was  in  a  serious  frame 
of  mind  and  paid  no  attention  to  their  merriment. 
She  resumed  her  interrupted  explanation. 

"It's  jest  this  way,  in  Oak  Crick  country,  you- 
all  see !  Single  men  ain't  growin'  on  every  bush, 
and  a  widder  has  a  hard  time  of  it,  anyway,  when 
most  ranchers'  dawters  are  waitin'  to  snap  up  a 
likely  catch.  Jeb's  a  catch,  Ah  says.  He  ain't 
a  gallavantin'  dude,  ner  he  ain't  spendin'  all  his 
wages  on  gamblin'  at  Red  Mike's  saloon.  Ah've 
learned  like-as-how  being  right  on  th'  spot  when 
a  man's  willin'  to  be  cotched,  is  more'n  half  the 
fight  to  hook  him.  Ah  kin  afford  to  snap  mnh 
fingers  at  all  them  ranch  gals  about  Oak  Crick, 
tryin'  their  bestes  to  make  Jeb  wink  his  eye  at  'em, 
jus'  because  Ah  am  whar  Ah  am  keepin'  tabs  on 
him,  all  his  time." 

When  the  laughter  caused  by  these  words  had 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK    273 

subsided,  somewhat,  the  two  girls  replied:  Polly 
to  advise  and  Eleanor  to  make  a  giggling  ex- 
planation. 

Eleanor  said:  "You  make  a  wonderfully  ac- 
curate time-clock  on  Jeb's  comings  and  goings, 
Sary." 

And  Polly  advised:  "You  run  back  to  your 
room,  Sary,  and  put  on  a  sensible  dress  to  keep 
Jeb  from  wondering  how  much  of  his  earnings  it 
would  take  to  dress  you  in  fine  clothes  like  that 
organdy  gown  cost." 

"Thar's  somethin'  in  that,  too,  Polly!  Ah 
reckon  you're  right,  so  Ah'll  throw  on  that  striped 
shirt-waist  your  Maw  gave  me,  and  the  duck  skirt 
with  the  tucks  in  it." 

Sary  vanished  as  quickly  as  she  had  appeared, 
and  the  two  girls  stood  laughing  as  they  saw  the 
bed-room  door  close.  Then  they  dried  the  dish- 
pan,  hung  up  the  towels  and  mop,  and  turned  to 
go  back  to  the  living-room  where  Sam  Brewster 
and  his  wife  were  planning  for  the  ride  to  Oak 
Creek  on  the  next  day,  and  the  trip  up  to  the 
cave,  on  the  day  following  that. 

But  the  girls  had  not  reached  the  living-room 
door  before  a  "hist"  halted  them.  They  turned 
in  the  direction  of  the  sound  and  saw  Jeb's  small 
head  at  the  kitchen  door.  When  he  saw  that  he 


274          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

had  gained  their  attention,  he  beckoned  furtively 
with  a  horny  index  finger. 

Both  girls  tip-toed  over  to  hear  what  news  he 
had  to  impart,  for  his  behavior  denoted  some 
dread  secret. 

"Is  Sary  Dodd  hangin'  'round?"  he  whispered, 
anxiously. 

"She's  in  her  room  getting  ready  for  com- 
pany," was  Eleanor's  amused  reply. 

"Wall,  you-all  kin  do  me  a  big  favor  ef  you-all 
explain  like-as-how  Ah  was  too  sick  to  come  in, 
to-night.  She  tol'  me  Ah  jus'  had  to  call  on  her, 
to-night,  but  Ah  ain't  got  courage.  Ah  kin  see 
jus'  whar  all  this  callin'  and  sittin'  alone  of 
evenin's,  is  goin'  to  land  me.  Sary  Dodd's  got  a 
powerful  way  for  a  woman,  and  Ah  ain't  no 
marryin'  man — am  Ah,  Polly?" 

Jeb's  plaintive  tone  and  his  beseeching  eyes 
convulsed  Eleanor  with  the  desire  to  laugh,  but 
Polly  saw  how  serious  he  was,  in  his  fear  of  being 
caught  by  a  woman's  wiles,  and  she  replied: 

"No,  Jeb;  you  are  not  a  marrying  man,  I  can 
say  that  much.  And  Sary  ought  to  know  better 
than  to  lure  you  on  with  all  her  past  experiences 
of  mankind." 

Polly's  earnest  explanation  made  Eleanor  lose 
control  of  herself  and  she  sat  down  in  a  kitchen 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK    275 

chair  and  laughed  so  heartily  that  Sary  hurried 
forth.  Jeb  instantly  ducked  and  tried  to  lose 
himself  in  the  dense  darkness  of  the  out-of-doors, 
but  Sary  was  too  quick  for  him. 

She  darted  to  the  door,  called  him  with  an  im- 
perative voice,  and  brought  the  recreant  back  to 
his  duty  of  calling.  Then  she  turned  to  the  two 
girls,  and  said  calmly,  but  with  meaning: 

"Ah'se  much  obliged  fer  th'  dish-washiri'. 
Ah'll  see  that  the  kitchen  is  set  to  rights  fer  the 
eveninV 

With  this  dismissal,  Polly  and  Eleanor  had  to 
go,  and  laughing  still,  they  went  through  the  liv- 
ing-room door  to  join  the  others  who  sat  about 
the  round  table  figuring  and  planning. 

Sary  very  quietly  closed  the  door  between  the 
two  rooms,  and  Eleanor  whispered  to  Polly: 
"Poor  Jeb!  We  had  to  leave  him  to  his  fate, 
after  all." 

By  six  o'clock  the  next  morning,  the  riders  were 
on  the  way  to  Oak  Creek.  Polly  and  Eleanor 
rode  side  by  side  and  discussed  a  good  name  for 
the  claim.  After  suggesting  and  rejecting  many 
fine  sounding  names,  Polly  finally  chuckled  glee- 
fully. 

"YouVe  thought  of  one  !"  declared  Eleanor. 


276  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Yes,  just  the  thing!  Won't  'Choko's  Find' 
suit  it?" 

"Great!  And  it  was  little  Choko  that  found 
it,  too.  If  he  hadn't  fallen  over  the  cliff  we  never 
would  have  discovered  the  cave  and  the  rest  of  it." 

"We'll  call  it  that— 'Choko's  Find!'  Say, 
everybody!  Listen  to  this:  The  mine  is  going 
to  be  called  'Choko's  Find' — do  you  like  it?" 
called  Polly  to  the  other  riders. 

"Very  appropriate,"  was  the  answer,  so 
"Choko's  Find"  was  its  name. 

Reaching  Oak  Creek,  the  party  rode  to  Mr. 
Simm's  office  and  Mr.  Brewster  told  the  story  in 
detail.  The  attorney  was  completely  silenced  at 
the  strangeness  of  the  adventure  but  demanded 
proof  in  seeing  the  ore  before  he  would  credit  the 
tale. 

"Well,  Ah  declare!  If  this  isn't  the  derndest 
thing  Ah  ever  heard  of  in  my  life !"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Simms  as  he  examined  the  nuggets. 

"Simms,  do  you  remember  Montresor's  nuggets 
and  legacy?"  asked  Mr.  Brewster. 

The  lawyer  looked  quickly  up  at  his  questioner 
and  a  look  of  understanding  crept  into  his  eyes. 
"Sam,  Ah  reckon  it  is  the  same !" 

"The  ledge,  the  canyon,  the  trails  and  the 
river!"  added  Mr.  Brewster,  convincingly. 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK    277 

"You-all  just  wait  here  till  Ah  get  my  papers 
from  the  Bank  vault !"  excitedly  cried  the  lawyer, 
snatching  his  cap  and  running  out  of  the  office. 

"Simms  keeps  his  valuable  papers  in  the 
masoned  safe  at  the  bank,  you  know.  If  the  town 
burns  down  during  a  miners'  celebration  some 
night,  his  papers  will  be  safe,  anyway,"  explained 
Mr.  Brewster. 

The  lawyer  soon  returned  with  a  package  held 
closely  under  his  arm.  He  sat  down  and  opened 
the  papers  before  his  visitors. 

"Here's  th'  rough  plan  of  the  claim  and  here's 
Montresor's  letter  that  was  found  after  he  was 
buried — you  know,  Sam." 

"What  letter  is  that,  Father?"  wondered  Polly. 

"We  never  told  you  about  it,  as  it  wouldn't 
have  helped  any  one  then,  but  now  you  shall  read 
it." 

"Where  was  it  found?" 

"In  the  pocket  of  an  old  hunting  coat  when  we 
tried  to  find  some  clew  to  his  family  and  home 
address.  But  the  top  of  the  letter  had  been  torn 
away  so  we  never  knew  for  whom  it  was  meant." 

Polly  took  the  closely  written  sheet  and  read 
the  letter  penned  by  her  old  friend  on  the  moun- 
tains. 

"At  last  I  can  say  to  you  all,  that  my  education 


278          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

was  not  wasted  as  you  claimed.  I  have  made 
good!  I  am  a  rich,  rich  man,  as  I  write  these 
words.  I  have  discovered  a  gold  mine  that  will 
prove  to  be  worth  millions.  I  refrained  from 
writing  as  you  had  requested,  until  I  had  good 
news.  Now  I  can  write. 

"In  the  years  I  have  spent  on  these  mountains, 
I  felt  sure  I  would  strike  gold,  as  every  sign  in 
rock  and  sand  formation,  of  the  sides  of  the 
peaks,  are  favorable  to  gold  deposits.  To-day  I 
proved  my  mining  education  to  be  of  --Dme  worthr 
for  it  helped  to  guide  me  to  a  ledge  ,/here  the  red- 
gold  is  so  rich  that  it  seems  to  run  deep  into  the 
rocks,  yet  quite  easy  to  mine. 

"I  had  great  difficulty  in  reaching  the  place  and, 
afterwards,  when  darkness  fell  over  the  place,  I 
had  to  trust  to  the  horse  to  find  a  spot  to  camp. 
I  left  my  claims  staked  out  and  marked  as  we  used 
to  do  in  the  Klondike,  and  to-morrow  morning  I 
shall  ride  directly  to  Oak  Creek  to  file  the  papers 
and  have  an  assay  on  the  ore.  I  am  now  writing 
by  the  light  of  the  camp-fire  with  grizzlies  prowl- 
ing about  and  panthers  howling  to  get  at  me  and 
the  horse.  But  my  ring  of  fire  is  security  for  us. 

"I  haven't  the  slightest  idea  of  where  this  camp 
is  but  I  will  scout  around  in  the  morning  and  then 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK    279; 

write  you  again  after  I  return  from  my  trip  to 
Oak  Creek. 

"You  must  understand  how  happy  I  am,  to  be 
able  to  pay  off  my  obligations  and  take  my  right- 
ful place  in  the  world  with  my  family.  God  grant 
that  this  blessing  of  wealth  bestowed  upon  me 
after  all  these  years  of  separation  and  disgrace, 
charged  against  me,  who  am  innocent,  will  be  the 
last  of  my  sufferings.  I  have  never  heard  from 
the  traitorous  friend  who  caused  me  this  ruin,  and 
now  it  matters  little !" 

Polly  looked  up  at  this  point  and  said : 

"He  must  have  finished  this  after  the  land-slide, 
Daddy." 

"Yes,  daughter:  read  on  and  you  will  see,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Brewster,  gently. 

"The  curse  still  pursues  me.  I  have  not  writ- 
ten to  conclude  this  letter  since  the  night  I  started 
it,  as  hard  luck  again  is  my  lot. 

"I  filed  the  claim  and  showed  the  ore  but  dif- 
ferent laws  prevail  in  Colorado,  and  I  found  I 
must  register  the  nearest  survey  corners  and  sec- 
tions to  my  mine  to  obtain  a  legal  ownership; 
however  my  plans  and  specifications  were  sufficient 
to  protect  me  from  claim-jumpers. 

"That  afternoon,  a  storm  came  over  the  moun- 


-8o  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

tains  and  lasted  three  days.  It  blew,  and  poured, 
and  snowed,  until  it  seemed  as  if  all  the  furies  in 
Hades  were  let  loose.  Then  it  cleared  again  and 
I  started  out  with  my  dog  and  horse  to  visit  my 
mine  and  make  satisfactory  corners  and  plans  for 
filing. 

"A  great  land-slide  had  occurred  during  that 
storm  and  the  entire  mountain-side  was  changed. 
Canyons,  cliffs,  and  mine  are  gone.  Wiped  away 
as  if  they  had  never  existed.  Of  course,  I  know 
the  gold  is  still  there  but  buried  under  tons  of 
earth  and  trash.  It  will  take  longer  and  cost 
more  to  unearth,  that  is  all. 

"But  I  will  have  to  locate  the  place  anew  as  I 
have  no  bearings  to  work  from,  so  I  propose 
starting  from  Top  Notch  Trail  and  have  Patsy 
help  me  find  it  on  the  down-side,  as  near  as  I  can 
remember  from  the  camping-spot  of  that  night 
where  I  first  wrote  this  letter : 

"I  am  reserving  this  until  I  find  the  mine,  then 
I  will  mail  it  at  once.  Now  that  I  have  definite 
grounds  to  work  on,  my  enthusiasm  is  equal  to 
carry  me  through  any  difficulties  in  my  path- 
way." 

"Oh,  father,  how  sad  I"  wept  Polly,  handing  the 
letter  to  Anne,  to  read  to  the  other  two  girls. 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK    281] 

"We  know  the  rest,  Polly.  And  that  is  why  we 
never  had  you  read  this.  Now  that  we  can  prove 
the  poor  old  man  was  sane,  we  will  try  to  establish 
his  reputation  for  all  concerned,"  said  Mr. 
Brewster. 

"Why  didn't  you  try  to  find  his  family  when  he 
died?"  asked  Polly,  frowning  at  what  she  con- 
sidered an  oversight. 

"We  did.  Every  newspaper  of  reputation 
carried  an  advertisement,  but  Ah  think,  now,  that 
the  olc1  man  assumed  another  name  than  his  right- 
ful one.  That  is  why  we  never  had  a  reply  to  our 
ads,"  replied  Mr.  Simms. 

Eleanor  was  elated  at  the  romance  of  this  ex- 
perience, and  turned  to  Polly,  exclaiming: 

"Oh,  Poll!  S'posing  we  meet  Montresor's  son 
some  day,  and  you  fall  in  love  with  him  without 
knowing  who  he  is!  Then  it  will  all  come  out 
when  he  visits  your  parents  to  ask  for  you,  and 
he  will  get  his  share  of  the  mine,  anyway!" 

Anne  laughed  heartily  at  such  nonsense  but 
Polly  rather  favored  such  an  ending,  so  her  mother 
and  father  quickly  interrupted  the  romance  by 
saying: 

"Come,  come,  sign  papers  and  wind  up  this 
affair!" 

Mr.  Simms  said  the  assay  was  more  than  satis- 


282  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

factory,  and  "Choko's  Find"  was  filed  as  the  dis- 
covery of  "Marybelle  Brewster,  daughter  of  Sam 
and  Mary  Brewster  of  Pebbly  Pit." 

"Who's  Marybelle  Brewster?"  wondered 
Eleanor,  surprised. 

"It's  me,  but  no  one  knows  it!"  laughed  Polly. 

"Sam,  when  do  you  reckon  you-all  ought  to  go 
back  to  the  mine  and  investigate?"  said  Mr. 
Simms. 

"We-all  plan  to  ride  there  early  in  the  morning. 
Will  you-all  try  to  come  with  us?" 

"Ah'd  like  it  first-rate.  Ah  haven't  had  my 
regular  fishing  trip  this  year  and  this  will  answer," 
replied  Simms,  eagerly. 

"Then  be  shore  to  meet  us  at  seven  or  eight 
o'clock  at  the  Pine  Tree  just  by  the  corduroy  road- 
way," said  Mr.  Brewster. 

"Sam,  better  get  away  before  that!  We  won't 
be  the  only  riders  along  Top  Notch  trail  the  mo- 
ment this  'find'  gets  wind!"  warned  Simms. 

"He's  right,  Sam!  Let's  start  from  the  farm 
at  day-break  and  meet  Mr.  Simms  at  five  or  six," 
advised  Mrs.  Brewster. 

"Right!  Make  it  six,  Simms,  and  see  if  the 
coroner  and  sheriff  want  an  outing."  Mr.  Brew- 
ster's  voice  sounded  interesting. 

Just  as  the  lawyer  opened  the  door  for  the 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK     283 

ladles  to  leave,  a  handsome  young  man  of  about 
eighteen  came  down  the  road.  It  was  evident, 
in  every  way,  that  he  was  a  "tenderfoot"  newly 
arrived.  Probably  just  came  in  on  the  noon  local 
from  Denver. 

"I'm  looking  for  Carew's  Camp,  sir.  That 
cowboy  over  at  the  box-car  said  you  might  tell  me 
how  to  reach  it." 

"Oh,  that's  the  surveyin'  crew  for  the  govern- 
ment. Ah  reckon  you'll  have  quite  a  jaunt  afore 
night  to  reach  there.  They're  working  about 
twenty  mile  from  here — up  on  the  Yellow  Jacket 
Pass  road,"  replied  Simms,  studying  the  surprised 
face  closely. 

"Ah  saw  Carew's  driver  stopping  at  Jake's 
when  we  drove  by,  Simms,"  said  Mr.  Brewster  at 
this  moment. 

"If  you-all  can  find  Jake,  that  will  be  the  way 
to  arrive — take  a  reserved  seat  beside  him," 
chuckled  Simms. 

The  youth  was  shy  before  so  many  pretty  girls, 
so  he  took  off  his  cap  to  acknowledge  the  obliga- 
tion, and  would  have  backed  away  had  not  Simms 
asked  a  very  strange  question. 

"Young  man,  you  look  exactly  like  an  old  friend 
I  knew  in  these  parts,  some  years  back.  So  like, 
that  I  must  ask  you  your  name." 


284  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

The  stranger  flushed  and  stammered:  "I  am 
Kenneth  Evans,  from  New  York." 

Simms  frowned  when  he  heard  the  name  and 
turned  to  Sam  Brewster :  "Did  you  ever  see  any- 
thing to  beat  that  likeness  to  the"  man  we  were 
just  talking  about?" 

Polly  had  noticed  the  resemblance  as  did  her 
father,  but  nothing  more  was  said  at  that  time,  as 
so  much  remained  to  be  attended  to  before  the 
ride  on  the  morrow. 

"Well,  Boy,  be  sure  to  drop  in  and  have  a  talk 
with  me  the  next  time  you  are  in  town.  My 
friend  was  from  your  way,  too,  and  who  knows 
but  we-all  can  hook  up  a  relationship,  eh?"  said 
Simms,  holding  out  his  hand  to  young  Evans. 

"I'll  be  glad  to  do  that,"  responded  Kenneth, 
heartily. 

Mrs.  Brewster's  kindly  heart  was  touched  by 
the  utter  forlornness  expressed  in  the  youth's  face 
when  he  heard  how  far  away  the  surveyor's  camp 
was  located,  so  she  addressed  him  directly. 

"Did  you  want  to  reach  Carew  to-night,  or  can 
you  come  home  with  us  and  get  a  fresh  start  for 
camp,  in  the  morning?" 

"I  was  supposed  to  report  to  Carew  yester- 
day, but  I  lost  the  train  at  Chicago,  and  that 
made  me  late  all  along  the  line  of  train-connec- 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK     285 

tions,"  explained  young  Evans,  smiling  more 
cheerfully.  "I  thank  you  just  the  same,  for  in- 
viting me  to  join  your  circle,  but  I  really  feel  that 
I  must  find  this  man  Jake  and  get  away." 

"Well,  young  man,"  now  abetted  Mr.  Brew- 
ster,  "do  as  you  think  best,  but  that  won't  pre-  < 
vent  you  from  riding  over  to  Pebbly  Pit  any  day 
you  can  get  away  from  work,  and  having  dinner 
with  us." 

The  young  man  was  surprised  at  such  hearty 
hospitality  shown  an  utter  stranger,  but  he  had 
heard  of  western  generosity  and  he  now  felt  that 
he  had  met  such  types  of  westerners.  Just  now, 
Mr.  Simms  called  out  quickly:  "There  goes 
Jake!  Hey,  Jake!  Ah  say— J-A*K-E !" 

The  man  called  Jake  halted  as  he  was  crossing 
the  muddy  road,  and  looked  towards  the  group 
which  stood  in  front  of  Simms'  office.  Simms 
waved  his  wide-brimmed  hat  to  denote  that  he 
was  wanted,  so  the  driver  turned  and  slouched 
along  the  side  of  the  road  until  he  was  within  a 
few  feet  of  the  lawyer,  before  the  latter  ex- 
plained. 

"We-all  got  a  fine  young  Tenderfoot  here,  for 
you,  Jake,  and  Ah  just  wanted  to  warn  yaw  to 
handle  him  with  care  or  these  pretty  gals  of 
Pebbly  Pit  will  call  you  to  account  for  him.  Boys 


286  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

are  scarcer  than  hen's  teeth,  since  the  war,  you 
know,  and  our  gals  are  having  a  hard  time  rak- 
ing the  country  to  find  such  a  swain  as  young 
Evans." 

Mr.  Simms'  frivolous  talk  made  the  girls  smile, 
and  Kenneth  Evans  began  to  feel  more  at  ease, 
But  Jake  was  replying  to  the  attorney's  explana- 
tion, and  he  listened  to  what  was  said. 

"Ah  corne  all  the  way  from  camp,  yistiddy, 
and  no  kid  to  be  seen.  Then  the  boss  sent  me 
back  to-day  to  meet  this  local  train  but  he  ain't 
come  yet.  Now  when  he  shows  up,  he  can  walk 
to  Carew's  Camp,  fur  all  I  care !  I'm  going 
back,  right  off." 

"Lookin'  for  a  kid,  eh?  What  sort  of  one 
is  he?"  teased  Mr.  Simms. 

"Augh,  Jim  Latimer  says  he  was  bigger'n  him, 
but  a  blondy.  And  he  said  he  looked  a  Tender- 
foot all  through.  I  asked  Red  Mike  if  a  feller 
stopped  at  his  eatin'  place  for  a  snack,  but  Mike 
tole  me  he  ain't  seen  no  stranger  in  Oak  Crick, 
this  week,"  Jake  grumbled. 

"Did  you  say  Jim  Latimer?"  exclaimed 
Eleanor,  eagerly. 

Jake  turned  to  stare  at  the  girl,  and  young 
Evans  brightened  visibly,  then  he  said:  "Do 
you  know  Jim?" 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK     287 

"Do  you  know  him?"  chorused  several  voices, 
Polly  and  her  parents  joining  the  chorus. 

"Do  I  know  Jim?"  repeated  Kenneth,  laugh- 
ing like  his  old  merry  self.  "I  should  say  I  did ! 
Why,  Jim  and  I  went  through  school  together, 
back  East,  and  it's  Jim  who  got  me  in  this  Crew 
so  I  can  get  experience  and  money  at  the  same 
time." 

"Well,  this  is  great!"  exclaimed  Sam  Brewster. 
"You  see  my  boy  John  goes  to  college  with  Tom 
Latimer,  at  Chicago,  and  that's  how  we  met  Jim 
— his  brother  gave  him  a  letter  of  introduction  to 
bring  us  when  he  came  out  here  to  work  with 
Carew.  I  knew  the  Boss  of  the  survey  crew, 
and  Jim  has  been  over*  to  Pebbly  Pit  on  Sundays. 
So  now  you  must  get  him  to  show  you  the  way.'* 

This  happy  discovery,  of  having  a  mutual 
friend,  completed  Kenneth's  feeling  of  ease  and 
confidence,  and  he  was  soon  talking  unrestrainedly 
about  the  Latimers — what  splendid  people  they 
were.  How  Jim's  father  was  trying  to  save  his 
(Ken's)  father  from  having  a  very  valuable  pat- 
ent stolen  by  a  ring  of  rascals  in  New  York  City. 
And  how  Mr.  Latimer's  brother  who  was  a  large 
financier  on  Wall  Street,  was  financing  the  law- 
suit, and  the  stock-company  that  was  formed  on 
the  value  of  the  patent. 


288  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

During  the  time  it  took  for  Kenneth  to  en- 
large on  the  merits  of  the  Latimers,  Jake  grew 
restless.  He  shifted  his  weight  from  one  cow- 
hide booted  leg  to  the  other,  and  finally  he  heaved 
a  doleful  sigh.  Then  he  drew  attention  to  him- 
self. 

"Ef  we-all  ain't  goin'  to  get  started  mighty 
soon,  thar's  no  use  in  gettin'  off,  to-night.  Mike 
gen'ally  has  a  dance  to  his  ristrant  at  night,  on 
pay-day,  and  he  can  put  us  up,  all  right." 

Mr.  Brewster  hurriedly  took  his  watch  from 
his  pocket  and  Mr.  Simms  turned  to  look  at  the 
old  banjo  clock  in  his  office,  and  both  men  quickly 
said  in  one  voice:  "Oh,  no,  Jake!  You  have 
plenty  of  time  to  get  off  and  make  camp  before 
dark." 

But  the  suggestion  made  by  the  driver,  to  stop 
over-night  in  Oak  Creek,  was  the  means  of 
hustling  Kenneth  Evans  along  his  way.  The  en- 
tire party  walked  with  him,  down  the  road, 
towards  the  shed  where  Jake  had  the  lumbering 
camp-wagon;  and  there  they  waited  while  Jake 
drove  back  to  the  baggage  room  to  find  his  pas- 
senger's trunk. 

During  the  driver's  absence,  Simms  explained 
to  the  young  stranger  why  he  was  so  anxious 


N 


A  STRANGER  IN  OAK  CREEK     289 

about  getting  the  man  from  Carew's  Camp  away 
from  Oak  Creek  that  afternoon. 

"You  see,  my  boy,  these  nights  about  this  burg 
when  the  miners  and  cow-boys  have  had  their 
pay,  are  one  Bedlam.  Decent  folks  lock  their 
doors  and  windows  and  never  show  a  light  that 
might  attract  any  insanely  drunken  miner. 
That's  why  I  want  you  far  on  your  road  to  camp 
before  these  rough  foreigners  come  to  town. 
Jake  would  revel  in  a  wild  night  of  it,  but  he'd 
get  fired  when  Carew  heard  of  it." 

The  young  man  smiled  but  the  girls  were 
anxious  to  make  the  most  of  the  few  minutes  left 
before  Jake  returned  for  the  Tenderfoot,  so 
Eleanor  began  the  moment  Simms  concluded. 

"When  do  you  suppose  Jim  Latimer  and  you 
can  come  to  Pebbly  Pit  to  call?" 

"Never  having  met  the  Boss  of  the  Crew,  and 
not  being  acquainted  with  distances  from  camp  to 
the  ranch,  I  couldn't  say.  But  Jim  ought  to  be 
able  to  judge,  and  to  decide  on  a  day.  We  could 
then  write  you,  couldn't  we?" 

"Don't  forget,  Nolla,  that  we  have  our  hands 
full  of  important  work  on  Top  Notch  Trail,  for 
an  indefinite  time,"  was  Polly's  warning. 

"Oh,  I  didn't  forget  that,  but  it  won't  keep  us 


290          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

busy  more  than  a  few  days,"  returned  Eleanor. 

"That  reminds  me,  Simms !  Did  you  say  you 
would  take  care  of  that  wire  to  John?"  asked  Mr. 
Brewster,  turning  to  the  lawyer. 

"Yes;  I'll  send  a  trustworthy  man  down  the 
line  when  the  train  comes  back  for  Denver,  and 
he  can  send  his  message  couched  so  that  no  wise 
guy  will  understand  what  it  means,  from  some 
telegraph  office  a  distance  from  Oak  Creek,"  said 
Simms. 

"That's  a  wise  plan.  And  get  him  off  as  soon 
as  possible  so  John  will  get  the  word  and  start 
home  without  delay,"  added  Mrs.  Brewster. 

Jake  drove  up  beside  the  group  at  this  mo- 
ment, and  sat  waiting  for  Kenneth  to  say  good-by 
to  his  new  friends.  The  girls  reminded  him 
again  to  be  sure  and  have  Jim  bring  him  to  the 
ranch  and  visit,  as  soon  as  it  could  be  arranged, 
then  the  great  heavy  wagon  rolled  away  with  the 
first  good-looking  young  man  the  girls  had  seen 
since  they  left  Denver. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

SARY'S  AMBITIONS 

"DEAR  me!"  sighed  Eleanor.  "That  boy 
makes  me  think  of  civilization  again." 

Her  companions  laughed  at  her  expression,  and 
Polly  said :  "He's  awfully  nice,  isn't  he  ?" 

"Yes,  but  not  half  as  nice  as  Jim  Latimer," 
added  Eleanor. 

"Oh,  I  think  he  is.  Jim  just  takes  everything 
for  granted,  whether  you  agree  with  him  or  not," 
rejoined  Polly. 

"Jim  Latimer  is  only  a  child!  Now  his 
brother  Tom  is  what  I  should  call  wonderful! 
Not  only  handsome,  but  desirable,  as  well,"  re- 
marked Barbara,  with  more  spirit  than  she 
usually  showed  in  the  younger  girls'  conversation. 

Eleanor  smiled  knowingly,  and  said:  "Tf 
Tom  was  poverty  stricken,  maybe  you  wouldn't 
find  him  so  desirable." 

"Why  would  any  one  care  for  a  poverty- 
stricken  friend?"  asked  Barbara,  wonderingly. 
But  Anne  hurriedly  changed  the  subject. 

291 


292          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"How  long  do  you  think  it  might  take,  before 
John  gets  that  message,  Mr.  Brewster?" 

"Oh,  he  ought  to  be  within  hailing  distance  of 
his  camp  and  he'd  get  the  wire  when  he  went  for 
meals,  or  to  sleep.  Allowing  until  morning  for 
it  to  reach  him,  and  another  day  for  him  to  pack 
up  and  travel,  he  ought  to  be  in  Oak  Creek  the 
day  after  to-morrow." 

Every  one  but  Simms  watched  Anne's  face  to 
see  her  blush,  or  smile  joyously,  but  Simms  was 
not  aware  of  any  tender  feelings  on  the  part  of 
the  pretty  teacher  for  John  Brewster,  so  he 
abruptly  suggested  a  plan. 

"Ah  wouldn't  wait  around  the  ranch  for  John's 
coming,  Sam.  If  the  women  folks  are  going  up 
to  Top  Notch  Trail  with  us,  all  well  and  good, 
but  waiting  about  until  John  and  the  engineer 
gets  home  will  be  risky  business  for  the  claim. 
Before  to-morrow,  every  thief  in  Oak  Creek,  and 
for  miles  around,  will  be  wise  to  that  gold  vein, 
and  most  of  them  will  want  to  sneak  up  there 
and  try  to  jump  the  claim." 

*Oh,  no,  we  won't  postpone  going  up  there  to 
guard  the  spot!"  explained  Anne,  anxiously.  "I 
was  wondering  how  long  it  would  take  that  expert 
engineer  to  arrive  on  the  ground  and  render  a 
reliable  verdict  about  the  mine." 


SARY'S  AMBITIONS  293 

Eleanor  tittered.  "Sure !  That  is  all.  Anne 
never  dreamed  that  John  Brewster  might  accom- 
pany the  expert !" 

"That  will  do  from  you,  Nolla !"  came  reprov- 
ingly from  Anne.  But  the  girls  all  laughed  at 
her  annoyance. 

Having  concluded  all  the  business  necessary 
in  connection  with  filing  and  signing  papers,  and 
arranging  details  about  the  trip  back  to  the  mine 
on  the  following  day,  the  ranch  party  said 
good-by  to  Mr.  Simms,  and  started  on  the  long 
ride  to  Pebbly  Pit. 

The  sole  subject  of  conversation  between  the 
elder  Brewsters  and  Barbara  was  the  gold  mine 
and  the  possibilities  of  it.  The  engrossing 
thought  that  kept  Anne  so  quiet  was  the  unex- 
pected and  imminent  visit  of  John  to  Pebbly  Pit. 
But  the  topic  that  now  enthused  Polly*  and 
Eleanor  was  the  arrival  of  Kenneth  Evans,  and 
his  acquaintance  with  Jim  Latimer,  the  pleasant 
young  man  who  had  spent  a  Sunday  at  the  ranch 
just  before  the  city  girls  had  arrived. 

"I  wish  those  boys  could  join  our  party  up  to 
the  cave,"  remarked  Eleanor  to  Polly,  as  they 
rode  behind  the  others  along  the  road  to  Pebbly 
Pit. 

"So  do  I.      But  they  are  camping  too  far  from 


;294          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

us,  for  that.  We  are  almost  directly  opposite 
'  their  camp  site,  using  Oak  Creek  as  a  central  point. 
But  the  Government  Survey  plans  will  work  them 
along  to  Yellow  Jacket  Pass,  and  from  that  point, 
along  the  wilderness,  until  they  reach  Buffalo 
Park  and  the  Top  Notch  Trail  where  we  were  ' 
the  other  day.  But  they  won't  reach  that  part  of 
the  work  until  late  this  season,"  explained  Polly. 

"Tom  Latimer  brought  his  younger  brother 
Jim  to  see  us  in  Chicago,  when  Jim  was  on  his  way 
west,  but  I  never  thought  he  would  be  so  near  me, 
this  summer,  as  to  be  able  to  see  him.  Had  I 
dreamed  of  such  being  the  case,  I  would,  have* 
paid  more  attention  to  him  at  the  time.  I  said 
to  myself,  at  that  visit,  'Oh,  we'll  never  meet 
again,  so  why  waste  time  over  him?'  ' 

Polly  laughed  at  Eleanor's  frank  confession, 
and  added:  "Well,  when  Tom  wrote  mother 
that  his  little  brother  would  be  near  enough  to 
Pebbly  Pit  to  permit  him  to  ride  over  now  and 
then  for  a  visit,  we  sent  word,  at  once,  for 
Carew  to  give  him  Sundays  off  to  come  and  have 
dinner  with  us.  But  he  has  only  been  over  once. 
Now  that  this  friend  is  in  camp  with  him,  maybe 
he'll  come  oftener." 

"If  John  would  only  bring  Tom  with  him, 
wouldn't  it  be  fine!"  planned  Eleanor.  "Anne 


SARY'S  AMBITIONS 

would  have  her  choice,  John.  Bob  would  be 
supremely  happy  if  she  could  flirt  with  Tom  for 
a  time,  and  you  and  I  would  have  Jim  and  Ken 
Evans." 

Polly  glanced  at  Eleanor  in  surprise,  and  said: 
"Why,  Nollal  I  wouldn't  like  that  at  all.  It 
will  be  lots  more  fun  if  we  all  go  about  together 
for  a  good  time.  But  John  is  coming  to  see 
about  the  mine — not  to  enjoy  himself." 

"You  don't  think,  do  you,  that  having  Anne 
Stewart  right  in  reach,  that  he's  going  to  spend 
all  his  time  working  that  mine?  He's  going  to 
divide  time  so  that  more  than  half  of  it  will  be 
given  to  Anne.  Then  he'll  work  double-quick 
on  the  mine  business  to  catch  up  on  his  work," 
was  Eleanor's  precocious  statement. 

Polly  saicf  nothing  to  this,  as  she  had  much 
food  for  thought  given  her  in  Eleanor's  words. 
Rather  than  pursue  a  subject  that  roused  her 
jealousy  because  of  her  brother  John,  she 
spurred  her  horse  to  gallop  forward  to  join  the 
others  of  the  party. 

"Father,  what  did  you  say  in  your  telegram 
to  John?"  asked  Polly,  when  she  slowed  up  be- 
side Sam  Brewster. 

"Simms  and  I  had  to  be  careful  what  we  said, 
so  no  one  on  the  wire  would  get  wise  as  to  our 


296          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

real  meaning,  so  I  wrote  out:  'Fine  party  on  at 
the  ranch.  Big  doings  that  Tom  and  you  must  be 
in  on.  Also  bring  your  friend  who  came  with 
you  the  time  we  talked  about  mining  Rainbow 
Cliffs.  Do  not  delay  but  start  immediately,  as 
the  girls  have  the  time  of  their  lives  set  down 
for  day  after  to-morrow.  Don't  write  or  wire, 
but  come  on  receiving  this  message.'  You  see, 
that  was  the  only  way  I  could  think  of  to  get 
John  off  without  letting  others  in  on  the  secret. 
Every  one  in  these  parts  knows  the  city  girls  are 
with  us,  and  they'll  not  wonder  at  our  having  the 
boys  come  home  for  a  visit." 

When  Sam  Brewster  concluded  his  explana- 
tion, Anne  was  smiling  happily,  and  Barbara 
lifted  her  head  a  bit  higher  as  she  said:  "How 
nice  it  will  be  to  see  Tom  Latimer  again.  I  enjoy 
his  company  so  much !" 

Eleanor  could  not  deny  herself  the  mean  little 
satisfaction  in  saying:  "Yes,  Bob  met  him  once, 
at  our  house,  and  tried  to  meet  him  several  times 
after  that,  at  various  social  gatherings  in 
Chicago." 

But  Polly  pinched  her  friend's  arm  for  silence, 
as  the  two  horses  crowded  close  together  to  pass 
on  a  narrow  ledge  of  the  trail  that  ran  up  to  the 
Cliffs. 


SARY'S  AMBITIONS  297 

"If  Tom  comes  with  John,  and  that  expert  en- 
gineer comes,  too,  mother,  I  don't  see  where  we 
are  going  to  put  them  up." 

"We  were  planning  that  as  we  rode  along,  just 
now,"  said  Mrs.  Brewster.  "I  think  we  can  put 
up  cot-beds,  temporarily,  in  the  loft  over  the  first 
barn,  where  father  keeps  his  account  books  and 
other  business  papers.  Or  we  can  pitch  the  large 
tent  under  the  trees  over  by  the  terrace,  and  they 
can  camp  there.  It  will  be  far  more  comfortable, 
in  either  place,  than  they  will  have  up  on  Top 
Notch,  or  what  they  have  been  having  in  the 
movable  camp  with  the  engineers,  all  this  sum- 
mer." 

"Finding  sleeping  quarters  for  the  boys  is  the 
least  of  our  worries  now,"  laughed  Sam  Brewster. 
"Keeping  off  claim-jumpers  and  guarding  the  cave 
from  miners  who  would  steal  the  gold  as  fast  as 
they  could  pick  it,  or  blow  it  out  of  the  rock,  is 
more  concern  for  us  than  any  other  problem,  at 
present." 

"Well,  we  won't  lack  for  excitement  if  all  you 
fear  is  justly  founded,  eh?"  laughed  Eleanor, 
plainly  showing  how  thoroughly  she  was  enjoying 
the  experience  and  its  promised  thrills. 

"Even  a  westerner,  immune  to  thrills,  would 
have  a  few  entirely  new  ones  in  this  experience," 


298  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

chuckled  Mr.  Brewster.  "But  let  a  few  city  gals 
like  you  three,  and  a  quiet  little  mouse  like  Polly, 
jump  right  into  such  a  game  as  this  promises  to 
be,  and  there  will  be  nothing  left  for  you  to  thrill 
over,  after  that,  in  everyday  life." 

"If  only  Jim  Latimer  and  Ken.  Evans  could  be 
at  the  ranch  to  go  with  us  when  we  start  for  the 
cave,"  said  Eleanor  for  the  second  time.  This 
time  her  remark  caused  Mr.  Brewster  to  think. 

Then  he  said:  "It  is  queer  how  that  boy  re- 
sembled our  old  friend  Montresor.  If  we  only 
knew  what  part  of  the  East  Montresor  came 
from.  I  have  always  said  he  was  not  traveling 
under  his  own  name,  but  probably  was  using  a 
family  name  to  hide  behind." 

"Yes,  and  that  may  explain  the  reason  we  never 
had  any  reply  to  our  widely  circulated  advertise- 
ments for  his  relatives,"  added  Mrs.  Brewster. 

"If  Montresor  really  was  related  to  this  young 
man,  father,  he  surely  would  have  said  something 
when  Mr.  Simms  mentioned  the  resemblance,  and 
asked  the  stranger  if  he  knew  of  a  relative  being 
in  Colorado,"  said  Polly. 

"Montresor  had  white  hair,  it  is  true,  but  that 
did  not  say  that  he  was  an  old  man.  He  was 
prematurely  wrinkled  from  worry  and  hardships, 


SARY'S  AMBITIONS  299 

but  he  was  not  much  more  than  forty,  I  should 
say,"  ventured  Mr.  Brewster. 

"What  are  you  leading  up  to,  Sam?"  asked 
Mrs.  Brewster. 

"I  was  just  thinking,  aloud,  that  Montresor 
could  have  had  a  son  as  old,  or  as  young,  as  this 
Kenneth  Evans.  If  he  had  gone  to  the  Klondike, 
as  we  believed,  the  boy  would  have  been  too  young 
to  remember  his  dad  very  distinctly.  Who  knows 
what  drove  Old  Montresor  away  from  home,  to 
seek  adventure  or  gold  so  far  north  as  in  the 
Klondike?  He  and  his  wife  may  have  separated 
through  some  misunderstanding  such  as  that  let- 
ter would  lead  us  to  infer,  and  his  eastern  rela- 
tives may  have  kept  all  facts  or  news  of  him  from 
this  boy.  The  poor  man's  pride  and  determina- 
tion to  prove  himself  innocent  of  some  wrong 
kept  him  from  communicating  with  his  people; 
we  know  that  from  his  own  letter.  So  I  would 
not  be  greatly  surprised  if  we  eventually  learn 
that  Kenneth  Evans  is  really  a  son  of  Mon- 
tresor's." 

"Oh,  Mr..  Brewster !  Isn't  that  exactly  what  I 
said  to  you  before,  when  you  hushed  me  up !" 
declared  Eleanor,  delighted  over  her  romantic 
vision. 


300          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"I  hushed  you  up  because  you  went  on  weaving 
stuff  that  dreams  are  made  of — not  because  you 
hinted  that  this  youth  might  be  Montresor's 
son,"  corrected  Sam  Brewster. 

The  others  laughed  at  Eleanor,  and  as  they 
rode  past  the  Cliffs,  now  glimmering  faintly  in 
the  rays  of  the  new  moon  rising  over  the  edge  of 
the  old  crater,  Polly  said  with  a  sigh : 

"Thank  goodness,  we  are  almost  home  in  time 
for  supper." 

The  materialistic  craving  in  Polly  for  a  good 
meal  was  so  different  from  Eleanor's  dreams  of 
romance  for  her  friend  that  the  two  elder  Brew- 
sters  felt  relieved  to  hear  the  exclamation.  Soon 
afterwards,  the  riders  drew  rein  at  the  porch 
where  Jeb  was  awaiting  the  return  of  the  party. 

"Wall,  did  you-all  find  out  if  the  mine  was  the 
same  as  Old  Man  Montresor's  claim?"  asked 
Jeb,  eagerly,  as  they  dismounted. 

"What's  that,  Jeb?"  asked  Sam  Brewster.', 
frowningly. 

"Why,  Sary  says  you-all  went  to  Oak  Crick  to 
file  papers  and  make  sure  that  Montresor's  claim 
is  the  same  mine  like  Polly  discovered  up  on  the 
Trail.  Ain't  it  so?"  wondered  Jeb,  curiously. 

The  two  elder  Brewsters  exchanged  glances, 
and  the  girls  had  to  laugh  at  having  been  com- 


SARY'S  AMBITIONS  301 

pletely  fooled  by  clever  Sary  Dodd.  Then  Mr. 
Brewster  thought  best  to  make  a  clean  breast  of 
the  entire  matter. 

"Well,  we  were  not  sure  when  we  left  Pebbly 
Pit,  this  morning,  whether  this  claim  was  good  or 
not.  So  we  did  not  say  a  word  about  it  to  either 
Sary  or  you,  but  she  must  have  overheard  us 
speaking  about  it,  last  night." 

"Yeh — that's  what  she  said  to  me.  She  had  to 
wait  so  long  fer  you-all  to  come  to  supper,  last 
night,  that  she  coulden'  help  hearin'  what  was 
said.  She  says  it  will  be  a  grand  day  fer  her 
and  me  when  you-all  get  this  mine  goin'.  Sary 
figgers  that  you-all  won't  stay  in  Oak  Crick,  ner 
on  a  ranch,  once  you  have  all  this  money;  'cause 
Polly'll  make  you-all  go  to  some  fine  city  to  live,'* 
explained  Jeb,  innocently. 

"Huh !  Is  that  so !"  sneered  Sam  Brewster, 
angrily. 

Jeb  was  gathering  up  the  reins  of  the  horses 
as  he  spoke,  and  now  he  turned  to  wonder  at  his 
master's  tone.  Mrs.  Brewster  was  about  to  say 
something  conciliatory,  when  Sary  rushed  out  of 
the  side  door. 

"Ah  was  jus'  comin'  to  see  who  rode  up,  when 
Ah  hearn  Jeb  talk.  Now  lissun  to  me,  whiles  Ah 
explains  how-come  Ah  spoke:  Me  and  Jeb  was 


302  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

sittin'  over  dinner,  this  noon,  when  Ah  says  to 
him,  'Ef  the  Brewsters  plan  to  leave  Pebbly  Pit, 
Jeb,  will  you-all  stay  on  and  wuk  the  ranch  fer 
'em,  or  buy  it  outright?'  Now  wasn't  that  a  most 
natchul  thing  to  ask?" 

Sary's  apparent  guilelessness  made  the  girls 
stare  and  her  mistress  smile  understandingly. 
"Of  course,  Sary — go  on." 

"Wall,  then,  Jeb  diden'  know  a  thing  about  the 
gold  mine  ner  what  you-all  rode  to  Oak  Crick 
fer,  so  Ah  hed  to  explain.  He  was  that  flabber- 
gasted! My,  Ah  feared  he'd  keel  over  right  at 
table.  So  Ah  hurried  to  brace  him  up  wid  puttin' 
an  ambitious  idee  in  his  head.  That's  how-come 
Ah  mentioned  his  takin'  over  Pebbly  Pit." 

Here  Jeb  interpolated:  "But  you-all  said, 
Sary,  that  no  self-respecking  woman  could  remain 
on  the  ranch  ef  all  the  ladies  left.  And  you  told 
me  a  man  needed  a  help-mate  on  such  a  big  place." 

Sary  frowned  down  on  meek  little  Jeb,  but  her 
displeasure  was  wasted,  for  Jeb  was  too  earnestly 
concerned  over  his  master's  future  plans  to  see 
the  widow's  expression.  The  girls  were  so  in- 
tensely amused  over  this  new  development  in 
Sary's  affairs  that  they  forgot  about  their  own 
ambitions  for  the  time  being. 

"Of  course,  Ah  said  that!"  affirmed  Sary,  when 


SARY'S  AMBITIONS  303 

all  other  escape  by  excuses  seemed  vain.  "Ah 
also  said  to  Jeb  that  now  he  was  callin'  on  me 
evenin's,  and  by  such  ways  showin'  the  public 
like-as-how  he  was  courtin'  me,  it  was  the  right 
thing  to  do  to  marry  afore  you-all  leave  the 
ranch.  Then  we  both  could  pitch  in  and  do  fer 
your  interests,  as  well  as  fer  our  own,  what  two 
folks  separate  can't  do  as  well.  See?" 

Every  one  could  see  plainly  what  Sary  meant, 
and  no  one  had  the  heart  to  ruin  her  romance 
by  trying  to  show  Jeb  that  he  was  a  doomed 
Benedict  if  he  allowed  himself  to  be  so  beguiled 
by  a  scheming  widow. 

ujeb,  if  there's  any  one  on  earth  who  can  make 
me  leave  Pebbly  Pit,  let  me  know  who  it  is,  and 
Ah'll  mighty  soon  fight  it  out  with  him!"  declared 
Sam  Brewster,  fervently. 

Mrs.  Brewster  and  the  girls  laughed  at  his 
intensity,  but  Jeb's  face  lighted  up  with  relief, 
while  Sary's  clouded  with  doubt.  Then  Jeb  led 
the  horses  away,  and  a  happy  whistle  sounded 
from  his  lips  as  he  marched  towards  the  barn. 
And  Sary  stood  looking  after  his  receding  form 
as  if  she  was  seeing  her  future  happiness  vanish, 
also. 

The  weary  riders  went  indoors,  and  after  Mrs. 
Brewster  had  removed  her  riding  togs,  she  went 


304          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

to  the  kitchen  to  see  what  was  ready  for  supper. 
To  her  joy,  she  found  Sary  had  prepared  an  un- 
usually tempting  meal,  and  had  everything  in 
readiness  to  serve.  The  table  had  been  set  in  the 
living-room,  as  it  was  too  dark  to  eat  under  the 
trees;  and  soon  after  the  girls  had  washed  and 
changed  their  clothes,  all  sat  down  to  enjoy  the 
well-cooked  and  carefully  seasoned  viands. 

Sary  and  Jeb  had  had  supper,  a  la  tete-a-tete, 
more  than  an  hour  before  the  riders  got  home,  so 
Sary  gave  her  attention  to  waiting  on  the  famished 
family.  As  she  served  and  passed  dishes,  she  con- 
versed volubly  about  the  mine,  and  the  claim,  and 
the  trouble  so  much  work  would  make  for  Mr. 
Brewster,  if  he  kept  on  with  the  ranch  at  the 
same  time. 

"Not  at  all,  Sary.  Ah  shall  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  work  at  the  mine.  John  and  his  engi- 
neers will  look  after  all  that.  But  this  does  not 
mean  that  Jeb  must  always  remain  a  hired  man. 
If  the  time  comes  when  he  wants  to  settle  down 
at  Pebbly  Pit  and  take  to  himself  a  spouse,  Ah 
shall  be  the  first  man  to  reach  out  a  hand  to  help 
him  on  in  life.  He  shall  have  certain  parts  of 
the  ranch  to  work  on  shares,  if  he  prefers  that, 
and  he  can  build  a  good  home  for  himself  down 
on  the  road  that  runs  by  the  pastures." 


SARY'S  AMBITIONS  30$ 

"You-all  ain't  sayin'  this  in  a  joke,  be  yuh,  Sam 
Brewster?"  asked  Sary,  breathlessly. 

"No,  indeed,  Sary.  Ah  want  Jeb  to  make  a 
good  match,  that's  all.  He  seldom  goes  away 
from  the  ranch,  other  than  driving  to  Oak  Creek, 
and  he  does  not  have  opportunity  to  see  or  meet 
girls.  So  Ah  am  seriously  thinking  of  giving  him 
a  vacation,  very  soon,  and  sending  him  to  Denver 
for  a  week  or  two,  just  to  give  him  a  chance  to  get 
acquainted  with  other  women;  and  then  he'll  be 
able  to  judge  what  sort  of  a  girl  will  .suit  him  best 
for  a  wife." 

Sary  gasped  fearfully  at  this  unexpected  plan 
of  Sam  Brewster's,  and  her  grasp  on  the  soup-, 
ladle  relaxed  so  that  it  fell  to  the  floor  with  a 
ringing  echo.  But  she  paid  no  attention  to  it- 
she  stood  with  mouth  open  staring  at  the  master 
of  Pebbly  Pit. 

Mrs.  Brewster  felt  sincerely  sorry  for  her,  but 
the  four  girls  had  to  smother  their  laughter  be- 
hind the  dinner  napkins.  Then  Sary  found  her 
power  of  speech. 

"Why,  Sam  Brewster!  You-all  can't  mean 
that!  Send  dear,  innocent  Jeb  to  such  a  wicked 
city  as  Denver,  all  alone,  to  be  caught  by  them 
ravenin'  wolves?  Ain't  you  hear'n  tell  of  flirty 
gals  what  goes  about  vampin'  nice  young  men  jus' 


306          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

fer  a  good  time?  Like  as  not  our  Jeb'll  get 
lassoed  by  one  of  'em,  and  she'll  marry  him  fer 
his  money,  er  git  it  all  away  from  him  afore  she 
lets  him  go.  Ah've  seen  it  all,  over  and  over 
again,  in  the  movies  at  Oak  Crick!"  Sary  almost 
wept  as  she  described  the  lamentable  case  of  Jeb 
if  he  was  permitted  to  visit  Denver,  alone. 

"Don't  worry  over  Jeb,  Sary.  He  hasn't  gone 
yet,"  said  Mrs.  Brewster,  sending  her  husband  a 
signal  to  keep  quiet. 

Sary  went  out  of  the  room,  and  when  Polly 
called  for  a  cup,  no  one  replied.  So  she  had  to 
jump  up  and  go  to  the  kitchen  for  her  own  cup, 
but  the  kitchen  was  empty — no  Sary  to  be  seen, 
anywhere.  Polly  reported  this  discovery  when 
she  came  back  to  the  table,  and  Mrs.  Brewster 
spoke  impatiently  to  her  husband. 

"You  haven't  any  judgment  about  love  affairs, 
Sam!  Don't  you  know  that  you  are  actually 
throwing  Jeb  at  Sary's  head  by  saying  such  things, 
as  you  did — about  giving  Jeb  enough  vacation  to 
allow  him  to  go  to  the  city  and  find  a  pretty  girl 
for  himself?" 

Mr.  Brewster  sat  back  in  his  chair  and  dropped 
his  fork  upon  the  table  in  surprise.  He  turned 
wondering  eyes  at  his  wife  as  he  said :  "Ah  only 
said  that  to  show  Sary  that  she  must  bide  her 


SARY'S  AMBITIONS  307 

time  with  Jeb,  and  give  him  a  chance  to  make  an 
honest  choice  for  a  wife." 

"That's  what  you  wanted  to  do,  Sam,  but  what 
you  actually  accomplished  was  to  give  Sary  a 
fright  over  having  Jeb  get  out  of  her  snare,  and 
now  she'll  move  heaven  and  earth  to  consum- 
mate her  own  schemes  to  get  Jeb.  I  wouldn't  be 
one  bit  surprised  if  we  should  find  out  that  she 
is,  even  now,  helping  Jeb  at  the  barn  and  trying 
to  wheedle  him  into  an  out  and  out  proposal. 
There!"  was  Mrs.  Brewster's  reply. 

At  that,  Sam  Brewster  jumped  up,  and  with- 
out asking  to  be  excused,  rushed  away  and  down 
the  road  that  led  to  the  barns.  Mrs.  Brewster, 
with  the  girls,  laughed  at  his  sudden  departure, 
and  when  supper  was  over,  with  the  master  of  the 
house  still  absent,  they  all  cleared  away  the  meal 
and  piled  up  the  dishes  for  Sary  to  wash  in  the 
morning.  Then  Mr.  Brewster  came  back. 

"Well,  Mary!  You  must  have  second  sight, 
is  all  Ah  can  say.  Sary  was  out  helping  Jeb  with 
the  horses,  sure  enough.  And  Ah  overheard  her 
sayin',  when  Ah  came  up  to  the  door:  'Jeb,  if 
you-all  ever  has  time  to  go  visitin'  to  Denver,  or 
any  such  place,  it  would  be  a  fine  honeymoon  for 
me  and  you,  woulden'  it?' ' 

As  Mr.   Brewster  repeated  Sary's  words,  he 


3o8          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

glanced  at  his  wife,  but  every  one  laughed  heartily 
at  his  expression  and  Sary's  clever  anticipation  of 
Jeb's  vacation.  Mrs.  Brewster  wagged  her  head 
wisely,  as  she  said: 

"Didn't  I  tell  you  so,  Sam?  Now  Sary  will 
have  no  rest,  nor  indeed  give  poor  Jeb  any  peace 
of  mind,  until  she  has  him  firmly  attached  to  her 
by  vows.  Once  the  bans  are  announced  at  church, 
she  knows  Jeb  will  not  try  to  dodge  them  and  his 
responsibility." 

"Well,  Mary,  after  this  experience  Ah  swear 
Ah  shall  have  nothing  more  to  do  in  trying  to 
break  up  any  matches.  No,  not  even  if  my  own 
children  plan  to  marry  without  having  due  time 
to  judge  what  is  best  for  them!"  His  sigh  of 
sacrifice  in  such  a  dire  case  made  all  eyes  turn  to 
Anne,  and  her  companions  laughed  teasingly  at 
her  blush. 

"Now,  girls — all  off  to  bed  at  once,  if  you  ex- 
pect to  go  with  us  at  daybreak,"  was  Mrs.  Brew- 
ster's  advice  that  cut  the  conversation  short. 

"I  have  no  objections  to  tumbling  into  bed," 
confessed  Polly. 

"Nor  I.  If  it  were  not  for  that  ride  to- 
morrow, I  could  sleep  all  day,"  added  Eleanor, 
hiding  a  yawn. 


SARY'S  AMBITIONS  309 

"Ah  will  set  the  Big  Ben  to-night,  I  think," 
said  Mr.  Brcwster,  "so  that  we  will  not  miss 
Simms  and  his  party  at  Lone  Pine  Blaze  in  the 
morning." 

"Who  besides  Simms  is  going  with  us,  father?" 
asked  Polly. 

"Why,  my  old  pal  the  Sheriff,  and  his  men; 
Simms  and  a  few  of  his  best  friends,  and  Rattle- 
snake Mike  as  a  guide." 

"Oh,  really!  Why,  it  will  be  a  large  party, 
won't  it?"  cried  Polly,  delightedly. 

"We'll  need  a  large  party,  Ah'm  thinking,  girls, 
if  our  surmises  are  right.  In  fact,  the  Sheriff 
plans  to  send  an  extra  posse  up  by  a  different  trail, 
in  order  to  head  off  any  strange-acting  or  un- 
familiar-looking men  who  might  happen  to  meet 
them  on  this  unfrequented  ride  along  Top  Notch 
Trail." 

"My!  It  makes  me  tingle  deliciously  at 
thought  of  the  fun  we  will  have  if  we  have  to 
fight  for  the  mine,"  said  Eleanor. 

"I  don't  think  we  women  ought  to  go  if  there 
is  the  least  danger,"  whimpered  Barbara,  glanc- 
ing from  one  to  the  other  in  the  group. 

"You  can  stay  at  home  and  chaperone  Sary," 
said  Eleanor. 


"3io  POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"I'll  do  nothing  of  the  kind,  Eleanor  May- 
nard!  If  you  and  the  others  go,  I  shall  go  tool" 
declared  Barbara,  jealously. 

"Well,  no  one  in  this  family  will  go  unless  you 
all  get  into  bed  inside  of  the  next  five  minutes," 
said  Mr.  Brewster.  "Don't  take  time  to  use  cold 
cream  and  wrinkle  plasters  this  night." 

Laughingly,  the  girls  said  good-night  and  left 
the  two  adult  Brewsters  alone.  The  moment  the 
door  closed  upon  the  last  girl,  Mrs.  Brewster 
made  sure  that  Sary  was  in  her  room  with  the 
door  closed,  and  then  she  tiptoed  back  to  join  her 
husband.  She  spoke  in  a  whisper. 

"Sam,  do  you  really  think  there  will  be  any 
danger  of  claim-jumpers,  to-morrow,  on  Top 
Notch?" 

"There's  always  trouble  where  gold  is  to  be 
had,"  returned  Mr.  Brewster,  seriously. 

"But  I  mean,  do  you  apprehend  it  and  thus 
asked  the  Sheriff  and  his  men  to  ride  with  us?" 

"Simms  and  the  Sheriff  think  so.  It  was  his 
idea  to  prepare  against  any  surprises  along  the 
road,  and  after  we  get  there.  But  it  was  the 
Sheriff's  idea  to  get  Rattlesnake  Mike  to  guide  us, 
and  hire  him  to  cook  while  we  are  in  camp.  Mike 
is  an  honest  Indian,  you  know,  Mary,  and  we  may 
need  one  who  is  as  good  a  woodsman  as  he  is." 


SARY'S  AMBITIONS  311 

"Well,  Sam,  if  I  thought  there  was  to  be  the 
slightest  risk  to  these  girls,  in  any  way  whatever, 
I  should  refuse  to  allow  them  to  go  to-morrow," 
declared  Mrs.  Brewster. 

"You  don't  think  that  I  would  consent  to  have 
you  and  Polly  go  if  I  thought  there  was  to  be  any 
risk  taken,  do  you?  All  the  gold  in  the  earth 
would  never  bribe  me  to  do  such  a  foolish  thing." 

"I  thought  so,  but  you  may  belittle  any  risk  we 
might  run.  You  men  are  so  accustomed  to  these 
ruffians  at  Oak  Creek,  but  three  city  girls  are 
different  from  western  ranchmen.  Even  Polly 
and  I  are  better  seasoned  for  the  adventures  we 
may  encounter  than  Anne  and  her  friends,"  was 
Mrs.  Brewster's  reply. 

"Well,  if  you  feel  the  least  nervous  over  this 
trip  you  had  better  remain  at  home  with  the  girls. 
Ah  reckon  we-all  can  readily  find  the  cave  by  the 
descriptions  Polly  gave  us,  and  by  the  claim  she 
staked.  Then,  too,  Rattlesnake  Mike  can  guide 
us  to  any  spot  on  the  mountaintop." 

"I  don't  want  to  deprive  the  girls  of  any  safe 
adventure  we  may  experience,  Sam,  nor  do  I  want 
them  to  run  risks.  So  we  had  better  wait  and 
leave  it  entirely  to  them,  if  you  feel  sure  nothing 
can  happen  through  an  encounter  with  ruffians," 
mused  Mrs.  Brewster. 


3i2          POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 

"Oh,  if  that  is  what  worries  you,  Mary,  rest 
your  mind  on  that  score.  No  one  will  attack  such 
a  large  party,  especially  when  the  Sheriff  and  his 
men  are  in  the  party." 

"Well,  then,  Sam,  we'll  get  out  the  supplies  we 
need  to  take  for  the  excursion,  and  then  try  to  get 
a  few  hours'  sleep." 

But  it  will  take  another  book  to  tell  you  what 
actually  did  happen  on  Top  Notch  Trail  and 
Grizzly  Slide ;  and  who  Kenneth  Evans  proved  to 
be;  and  whether  John  Brewster  loved  Anne 
Stewart,  or  Tom  Latimer  fell  a  victim  to 
Barbara's  blandishments.  All  these  queries  are 
answered  in  the  second  volume  called:  "Polly 
and  Eleanor." 


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